Dallas Mavericks’ Luka Doncic Faces Potential Absence vs. 76ers

Could Luka Doncic sit out against the 76ers on Monday?

UPDATE: Luka Doncic has been upgraded to AVAILABLE, per ESPN's Tim McMahon.

When the Dallas Mavericks faced the Milwaukee Bucks late last week, they received a big boost with the presence of their star scorer, Luka Doncic, back in the lineup.

After missing the matchup against the Minnesota Timberwolves a few games prior, Doncic returned with a 42-minute shift against the Bucks, scoring 40 points and making it a near triple-double with nine rebounds and 11 assists.

Despite churning out a 40-plus-minute run against Milwaukee, Doncic faces a potential absence on Monday night against the Philadelphia 76ers. 

According to the Mavs’ injury report, Doncic is experiencing soreness in his right ankle. As a result, he’s been downgraded to questionable ahead of the matchup.

While the All-Star guard hasn’t experienced any long-term setbacks this season, he’s missed matchups on several occasions. If the Mavericks don’t clear Doncic for action on Monday, it would mark the ninth time they’ll play without him this year.

Losing Doncic would be a difficult blow for the Mavs on Monday. In the 41 games he played this season, he’s averaged 35 points on 49 percent shooting from the field. He’s also good for nine rebounds and ten assists per game. 

On a bright note for Dallas, they are likely to land Kyrie Irving's services once again. After Irving missed a chunk of games due to a thumb injury, he’s on pace to make his return against the 76ers. 

Without Doncic this year, the Mavericks hold a 3-5 record. Overall, they are 26-23, which places them eighth in the Western Conference.