The NBA continues its regular season with the Oklahoma City Thunder visiting the Dallas Mavericks on Wednesday night. However, Luka Doncic has been ruled out of the game (per Eddie Sefko of Mavs.com), ruining the fantasy basketball lineups of several players.
Luka Doncic (back stiffness) will not play tonight against Oklahoma City, per Rick Carlisle.
— Eddie Sefko (@ESefko) March 4, 2021
Luka Doncic is one of the best young players in the NBA right now. Currently averaging 28.6 points, 9.0 assists and 8.4 rebounds, Doncic is leading the Mavs in a tough Western Conference. They're currently ranked 1oth, but they are only one game back from the eighth-seeded Golden State Warriors with a 17-16 record.
For fantasy basketball, this is either the worst possible news or the greatest. If someone has Luka Doncic on their fantasy team, him sitting out throws a wrench into the lineup. Opponents, however, are likely wiping their brow in relief.
Most fantasy basketball leagues don't allow people to adjust their lineup once a player has played one game in a given week. For that reason, those who started Luka Doncic for this week will have a missing game, which could be detrimental for fantasy matchups.
The good news, though, is that the injury doesn't sound too serious. He still plans to play in the All-Star Game and Skills Challenge, which likely means Dallas is just giving its superstar some additional rest. His health is the top priority for the Mavericks organization, as he's the player this team is building around for a potential championship in the future.
NBA fans and fantasy basketball players alike can expect Luka Doncic to return on March 10, when the Mavs will face the San Antonio Spurs in a highly anticipated matchup to tip off the second half of this season.
Editor's note: This article has been updated to reflect the latest Mavs news on Luka Doncic's injury. An earlier version of this article stated that Luka Doncic was doubtful for the game.
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