The Dallas Mavericks fell 126-119 on Thursday night to the Oklahoma City Thunder. One of the biggest reasons for this defeat was due to the Mavericks being without superstar Luka Doncic, who sat out this game after suffering a hamstring injury in the team's 109-99 victory over the Golden State Warriors on Wednesday night.
Luka, who has now missed a total of nine games this season, has been on fire since the All-Star break and had a streak of seven consecutive triple-doubles before failing to record one against the Warriors.
As Dallas inches closer to the playoffs with their position in the Western Conference unknown, Doncic's health has suddenly become a key talking point yet again late in the season. Now, the Mavericks' biggest game of the season approaches, as Dallas is set to host the defending NBA champion Denver Nuggets on Sunday afternoon.
Although he missed Thursday night's game due to his hamstring injury, Doncic did receive a positive update early Friday morning.
Luka Doncic's injury status vs. Nuggets
Doncic and the Mavs have a couple of days to rest up before their huge matchup against the Nuggets. Currently 38-29 on the season, Dallas finds themselves a full game back of the Sacramento Kings for the 6-seed in the Western Conference. If the playoffs began today, they would have to fight for the right to be in the postseason via the play-in tournament.
This is not a spot the Mavericks want to find themselves in, which is why a win over Denver on Sunday could really pay off down the road. Whether or not the Mavs will have Luka for this matchup against Nikola Jokic and Co. remains a mystery.
After missing Thursday night's game against the Thunder, it does appear as if Doncic is trending in the right direction in regards to his hamstring injury. In fact, the Mavs hope that Luka will be fine for their upcoming game against the Nuggets, according to The Athletic's Shams Charania.
“They have that showdown against the Nuggets on Sunday, there’s obviously hope with the Mavericks that Luka Doncic will be fine for that game.”
Shams Charania on latest after Luka left their last game due to a hamstring injury 🗣️
(via @RunItBackFDTV)pic.twitter.com/qjTCBCKgLr
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) March 15, 2024
This doesn't appear to be a serious hamstring injury that Doncic is dealing with, which is why the Mavericks believe he will be ready to go for Sunday's pivotal matchup.
In a total of 58 games this season, Doncic has averaged 34.3 points, 9.8 assists, and 9.0 rebounds per game while shooting 49.4 percent from the floor and 37.8 percent from three-point range. He currently leads the league in scoring.
Without Doncic, the Mavs are just a shell of the team they could potentially be. His value is immeasurable, and Doncic has been virtually impossible to stop on the offensive side of the ball since the All-Star break. Luka was recently named Western Conference Player of the Week after averaging 37.7 points, 10.7 assists, and 10.3 rebounds per game.
Dallas is looking to keep their playoff hopes alive, hence why Doncic's appearance against the Nuggets will be vital. The Mavericks will likely provide further clarity on Luka's status on Saturday.
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