The Dallas Mavericks have been faltering in the month of February despite adding Kyrie Irving to their roster to support Luka Doncic. They need a signature win against the Philadelphia 76ers to turn the momentum around.
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There’s no doubt that Luka Doncic has been one of the greatest players in the league over the past 4 seasons. The Slovenian was heralded as a great prospect when first drafted. What he’s achieved since getting to the NBA deserves rave reviews.
One of the biggest question marks about Doncic were regarding whether he could lead a deep playoff run. These questions raised their heads after the Clippers knocked his Mavericks out for 2 straight playoff campaigns.
However, the Mavericks’ run to the Conference Finals last year served to dispel much of that doubt. Luka was redoubtable in the way he helped the Mavericks past the top-seeded Phoenix Suns.
Their 4-1 loss to the Warriors notwithstanding, their future looked bright beyond last season. However, not keeping Jalen Brunson on their roster seems to have seriously affected their talent levels.
The Mavericks are currently in a play-in berth. They’re at 32-31 – just one game above a .500 record. They’ve lost 4 of their last 5 games.
Is Luka Doncic Playing Tonight vs Sixers?
Luka Doncic will be a starter tonight, barring pre-game injuries during the warmups. His presence will be key for Dallas as their primary offensive option.
Doncic will likely be joined by Kyrie Irving in the backcourt. Josh Green, Christian Wood and Maxi Kleber will likely round out the Mavs’ starting lineup tonight.
Dāvis Bertāns (left calf strain) will miss tomorrow night’s game against the 76ers.
— Mavs PR (@MavsPR) March 1, 2023
Kidd is likely to opt for the size and rebounding of Wood over the shooting of Reggie Bullock. After all, they’ll require a good interior presence to slow down Joel Embiid in his quest for a second scoring title.
Doncic stats this season
Through 63 games, Doncic leads the league in points per game at 33.2 ppg. He’s also a top-5 assist-getter, averaging 8.1 dimes per game.
Doncic’s shooting numbers have improved significantly since his rookie season. He’s posting his career high in field goal percentage, averaging 50.6% from the field.
