The Dallas Mavericks are inching closer to exacting revenge on the Los Angeles Clippers for eliminating them from the playoffs for two straight seasons in 2021 and 2022. They currently lead 2-1 in their first-round playoff series against the loaded LA roster and a win in Game 4 at home on Sunday would see them take a commanding 3-1 lead in the series. Doncic had a rather quiet outing in Game 3 as the series moved back to Dallas, scoring just 22 points in 40 minutes, shooting 7-for-25 from the field and 3-for-13 from three. This rather unusual production had a lot of fans concerned about any injuries bothering the Slovenian star behind the scenes.
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The Mavericks may be without their superstar, Luka Doncic, in today’s contest at American Airlines Center. The guard has been listed as ‘questionable’ for Game 4 on the NBA’s latest injury report with right knee soreness. He suffered the injury in the first quarter of their 101-90 win in Game 3 on Friday. Clippers guard Russell Westbrook clipped Doncic while trying to steal the ball from his blindside and tripped up, causing him to get up gingerly and limp to the bench.
Doncic grimaced and was seemingly done for the night, but returned to the game and led his team to victory with a near-triple-double, falling just one assist short. During the post-game press conference, he was asked about the injury, where he gave a worrying update. He said,
“[The feeling is] Not good. I felt it before I hit the knee, so it’s pretty stiff right now, but we’ll know more tomorrow.”
The Slovenian superstar’s absence would be a massive boost to the Clippers and a humungous blow to the Mavericks’ odds of taking a 3-1 lead in the season.
Will Luka Doncic play in Game 4 against the Clippers?
Mavericks fans can breathe easy. While Luka Doncic scared the team’s supporters with worrying comments about his knee injury, head coach Jason Kidd provided a calming update about the superstar’s ailment. During his media availability on Saturday, reporters asked him about the MVP candidate’s knee issue. He responded,
“Good. Everybody’s good…Probably stiff but that’s just the morning. But yeah he’s good.”
While Doncic is seemingly still in some discomfort, he’s fit enough to play on Sunday. The guard has been critical to the Mavericks’ success this season. They’ve played 12 games without him this season and have won only four.
