The Dallas Mavericks finally saw their seven-game win streak come to an end on Friday courtesy of the reigning Eastern Conference champions Boston Celtics. The fact that Luka Doncic was playing through an ankle injury seems to have had a significant impact on the Mavs' 124-95 blowout loss against Jayson Tatum and Co. Doncic has been dealing with soreness in his ankle for the past few games, and you have to give this young man credit for playing through the pain.

The Mavs are scheduled to return to action on Saturday against a shorthanded New Orleans Pelicans side. Despite having a bad ankle, it seems that Luka will be good to go for that matchup. At the moment, the Mavs have tagged their superstar as probable to suit up when they host the Pels on Saturday.

It goes without saying that Dallas desperately needs Doncic in their lineup. He's been carrying the load for the Mavs this entire season, and at this point, it seems that the heavy workload is beginning to take its toll on him.

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The Mavs are playing a dangerous game with Luka Doncic as they continue to let him play while nursing what appears to be a minor injury. He has been given the occasional night off — he's sat out three games so far this season, all of which were second nights of back-to-back sets — but there's no denying that all this heavy lifting has to be a concern.

The good news is that Doncic is just 23 years old and his body still has the ability to heal at a rapid pace. Nevertheless, the Mavs need to tread very cautiously here.