Dallas Mavericks star Luka Doncic will be available to play in Game 3 of the team’s second-round playoff series against the Oklahoma City Thunder on Saturday afternoon, the team announced. Doncic, who has been banged up all postseason, is dealing with knee and ankle issues.
Mavericks’ Maxi Kleber (right shoulder AC separation) and Olivier-Maxence Prosper (left ankle sprain) remain out.
Doncic sprained his knee in Game 3 of the Mavericks’ first-round series versus the Los Angeles Clippers and is now sporting a big brace. Then, in the fourth quarter of Dallas’ Game 2 win on Thursday, he got tangled up with Oklahoma City rookie Cason Wallace and tweaked his ankle.
“He just stepped on my foot, but nothing serious,” Doncic said during his post-game press conference. “I know he didn’t do it on purpose, so nothing serious. We just thought it was a foul. Other people would get a foul call on that one.”
Doncic remained in the game after the ankle incident, and even though he wasn’t moving all that well, he hit some big shots down the stretch to ensure the Mavericks secured a 119-110 win to even the series at 1-1. He finished with 29 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists.
Having Doncic on the floor in Game 3 gives the Mavericks a chance to take the lead in the series. However, his mere presence alone guarantees little. This postseason has been somewhat uneven for the Dallas star.
While he’s still putting up big numbers — 28.4 points, 8.6 rebounds and 9.1 assists per game — Doncic’s knee problem has prevented him from looking like his usual self so far in the playoffs. He’s shooting 40.9% from the field, which makes this by far his least efficient postseason, and the Game 2 win over the Thunder was just the second time in eight games that he shot over 50%.
The Mavericks were able to get past the dysfunctional Clippers despite some poor shooting from their best player, but the Thunder represent a steeper challenge. Doncic will need to be at his best for Dallas to reach the Western Conference Finals for the second time in three years.
