Through 61 games this season, the Dallas Mavericks are 34-27. With 21 games left in the regular season, the Mavs are currently 8th in the Western Conference. However, they are just half a game out of sixth place. Giving them plenty of time to secure one of the top six seeds and avoid the play-in tournament.
Tonight, the Mavericks will be at home to face the Indiana Pacers for their second of two meetings this season. On February 25, Dallas lost 133-11 to the Pacers on the road. Luka Doncic’s 33 points were not enough to beat the Pacers in their last meeting. The five-time all-star is questionable tonight vs. Indiana with an ankle injury. Doncic could miss just his ninth game of the season tonight in a game the Mavericks need to win.
Will Luke Doncic be available for the Mavericks tonight when they face the Pacers at home?
Jason Kidd told reporters that Luka Doncic will be listed as questionable for Tuesday’s game against the Indiana Pacers due to ankle soreness.
Doncic has dealt with an ankle injury recently and played through his current issue against the Philadelphia 76ers. pic.twitter.com/yqn9FyyaQh
— Grant Afseth (@GrantAfseth) March 4, 2024
Dallas’ head coach Jason Kidd has credited Luka Doncic for his toughness and for playing through an ankle injury. The Mavs have Doncic listed as questionable tonight vs. the Pacers due to a sprained right ankle. In their last game, Doncic was seen noticeably limping and his ankle was clearly an issue. He scored 38 points but Dallas lost 120-116 to the 76ers. They are now 1-4 in their last five games after winning seven straight before then.
This season, Doncic’s (34.5) points per game leads the NBA. His production cannot be matched by one player. The Mavericks are a completely different team when he is not available. Doncic has missed eight games this season and Dallas is 3-5 in those contests. Luka has played through a nagging ankle injury and could miss tonight’s game. There are no confirmed details as to his availability just yet. It could be down to a game-time decision.
Dallas Mavericks Injury Report vs. Indiana Pacers:
Dereck Lively II – available (nasal fracture)
Luka Doncic – questionable (right ankle sprain)
Derrick Jones Jr. – questionable (left shoulder strain)
Maxi Kleber – questionable (left knee soreness)— Grant Afseth (@GrantAfseth) March 5, 2024
Unless Doncic is in a serious amount of pain, he’s likely going to play. He played 60+ games in each of his first five seasons and is on track to do the same in 2023-24. The 25-year-old has been lucky to avoid any major injuries. His lowest number of games played in a season was 61 in 2019-20. Dallas needs his production on the court tonight if they want to win and keep up with the Indiana Pacers. Their (123,0) points per game lead the NBA this season. The Mavs average (118.7) points per game, the sixth-best in the NBA. That’s when they have All-NBA PG Luka Doncic available. Jason Kidd and the Mavericks hope that Doncic is available tonight vs. Indiana.
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