The Dallas Mavericks will host the Detroit Pistons on Friday in their final home game of the 2023-24 regular season. However, Dereck Lively II remains out with his right knee sprain, while it was revealed that Kyrie Irving will miss Friday's game with left hamstring soreness. Luka Doncic is also listed on Dallas' injury report.
Doncic has battled various injury concerns throughout the season. For the most part, the injuries have not kept Luka off the floor. He has already appeared in 70 games, ultimately surpassing the NBA's new 65-game threshold to win awards. With a playoff spot already clinched, however, the Mavs will proceed with caution when it comes to Doncic's injury status.
So is Luka Doncic playing tonight vs. the Pistons?
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Luka Doncic's injury status vs. Pistons
Doncic was listed as questionable earlier in the day but he's now officially joining Kyrie on the sidelines.
Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving played in Dallas' 111-92 victory over the Miami Heat on Wednesday. Both stars looked healthy in the game. Unless there is something we don't know about, Doncic and Irving's injuries should not be anything to worry about. The Mavericks, again, are going to be careful with their stars with the playoffs right around the corner.
With that being said, Doncic has been listed on the injury report a few times within the past couple of weeks. Some of that is just a product of a long NBA season. At this point, most players are dealing with bumps and bruises. The important thing is making sure there are no serious injuries.
Luka Doncic has enjoyed another tremendous season. In fact, this is unquestionably one of the best seasons of his career.
The Mavericks superstar is averaging 33.9 points per game, a mark that leads the league. He's also shooting a rather efficient 48.7 percent from the field and 38.2 percent from beyond the arc. Doncic's three-point percentage will be the highest of his NBA career.
Mavs fans certainly know that Luka Doncic impacts the game in more ways than just scoring the basketball. He may be listed as a guard, but Doncic still plays a big role on the boards. The season obviously is not over yet, but his 9.2 rebounds per game would be the second highest average of his career.
And turning back to the guard element of it all, Luka is one of the best passers in the NBA. He is on track to set a new career-high with 9.8 assists per game. But it is more than just assists for Luka.
He knows how to control the pace of the game. Doncic is always finding ways to keep the offense moving. Even if he isn't credited with an assist on any one possession, Doncic still typically finds a way to make his impact felt on the play.
And finally, there is the subject of Doncic's defense. He's received criticism in the past on the defensive end of the floor, but Luka has taken steps forward in 2023-24. Sure, maybe Doncic is not the best defender in the NBA, but he has worked hard to improve.
In the end, it is clear that Doncic is one of the best players in the entire league. When it comes to the question of if Luka Doncic is playing tonight vs. the Pistons, the answer is no.
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