In their latest fixture against the New Orleans Pelicans, the Dallas Mavericks came through in clutch and won 125:120. Kyrie Irving had yet another prolific effort, nabbing 42 points while Tim Hardaway Jr. matched him with 41 points. One notable absence for the Mavs was their superstar Luka Doncic who missed the game due to a sprained right ankle. So, what is his status for the match-up against LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers?
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The all-around guard has now missed the last three fixtures for the Mavs and seven games in total. As per the NBA’s official injury report, six Mavs athletes are on the list. Greg Brown III, Dante Exum, and Olivier-Maxence Prosper have been ruled out.
Meanwhile, Dallas Mavericks reporter Grant Asfeth updated that Grant Williams and Derrick Jones are probable for the Lakers fixture. On the other hand, Luka Doncic has been upgraded to “Questionable” due to a sprained right ankle,
Dallas Mavericks Injury Report vs. Los Angeles Lakers:
Derrick Jones Jr. – probable (right calf contusion)
Grant Williams – probable (right ankle sprain)
Luka Doncic – questionable (right ankle sprain)
Dante Exum – out (right plantar sprain)
Olivier-Maxence Prosper – out (G…— Grant Afseth (@GrantAfseth) January 17, 2024
While referring to Doncic’s injury status, Jason Kidd vested his hope in the LA weather. He stated, ”We can only hope the California sun helps heal us.” Without the Slovenian superstar, the Mavericks have a losing record with three wins against four losses.
However, they are learning to play without him too, considering that they have won three of their last four games in his absence. Thanks to their improved play, the Mavs have touched 24 wins and 17 losses, but they are barely hanging on to the fifth spot in the West.
Kyrie Irving has been a great addition
The Mavs’ improvement without Doncic is a great transformation from previous seasons. Their decision to bring in Kyrie Irving last season through a trade and then extend him for three more years has worked wonders. Irving looks as motivated to win as he has ever been and apart from giving his usual elite scoring, he has rebounded at a high level too.
Therefore, his presence has helped assuage the lack of depth when Doncic has been out and has also addressed the glaring rebounding concerns. His backcourt partnership with Luka Doncic is perhaps one of the best if not the best in the league.
Apart from Kai, Tim Hardaway Jr. has also upped his game recently to supply the required scoring. Other than these two guards, Josh Green has been a revelation and has given top-notch two-way production. Coach Jason Kidd’s ability to maneuver his team without a significant frontline has been admirable.
He doesn’t have a deep bench either but he has been a master of winning a lot without having much. Therefore, Mavs fans must be optimistic about their chances when Doncic and Co. are at their maximum strength.
