2 min read • March 09, 2023
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Mavericks star guard Luka Doncic exited Wednesday’s loss in the third quarter with an apparent left thigh strain that he told reporters he has been battling for at least a week.
The 24-year-old is set to undergo an MRI on Thursday to reveal the extent of the injury.
Even if it is a minor strain, the Pro Basketball Docs expect Doncic will miss multiple games to get him right for a late-season push.
Postgame, Doncic said his thigh felt “not good” and his thigh felt worse as the game progressed.
By video, he was not moving well at the beginning of the third quarter, but remained in the game until the 2:29 mark.
Before the third quarter, he had 12 points, 4 assists and 3 rebounds on 3 of 11 shooting from the field. In nearly 10 minutes of action in the third quarter, he scored 3 points with 2 assists on 1-2 shooting from the field and 1-2 from the free throw line.
“Just getting my rhythm, you know, running, I can feel it,” Doncic told reporters Wednesday. “But mostly on the jump shots because you need both legs. So pushing off has been really hard for me."
Wednesday’s shooting performance was his worst of the season, finishing at 28.6% from the field.
Doncic has been listed on the injury report with a thigh injury since shortly after the All-Star break, but had played through effectively up to Wednesday.
The crafty Slovenian has missed 10 games for the Mavericks this season, although only four absences have come in a row.
He suffered a right ankle sprain in early February that caused that four-game absence.
A right calf strain caused him to miss the first three games of the playoffs last season, but he averaged 31.7 points, 9.8 rebounds and 6.4 assists upon return.
The Mavericks (34-33) have the ninth-best odds to win the NBA Finals at +2000, according to FanDuel Sportsbook.
Dallas is 3-7 in their last 10 games, dropping to the No. 8 seed in the Western Conference with 17 games remaining.
Their next contest comes on Saturday in Memphis.
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