Luka Doncic's Uncertain Status Headlines Mavs Injury Report vs. Pacers
DALLAS — Entering Tuesday's matchup against the Indiana Pacers, the Dallas Mavericks have various critical players on the injury report to monitor, beginning with superstar Luka Doncic, who is coming off a performance with 38 points, 11 rebounds, and 10 assists against the Philadelphia 76ers.
The Mavs listed Doncic (right ankle sprain), Derrick Jones Jr. (left shoulder strain), and Maxi Kleber (left knee soreness) as questionable to play against the Pacers. Dereck Lively II (nasal fracture) is listed but is already designated as available to play.
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Doncic has dealt with ankle injuries throughout the season, including a right ankle sprain he managed leading into the NBA All-Star break. He was visibly bothered after a play after getting up from the floor against the Sixers but went on to finish the game.
Given how competitive the Western Conference landscape has become, the Mavs must have Doncic available to play as much as possible. With a 34-27 record, Dallas enters Monday's NBA action ranked eighth in the standings, trailing the Sacramento Kings and Phoenix Suns by one game, with a 1.5-game lead over the Golden State Warriors and Los Angeles Lakers.
Doncic averaged 34.5 points, 9.7 assists, and 8.9 rebounds in 53 games this season, shooting 49.6 percent from the floor, 38.0 percent from beyond the arc, and 78.4 percent on free throws. He's produced a historic season while attempting to guide the Mavs with Kyrie Irving to a more successful close than the 38-44 record the team had last season, failing to qualify for the play-in tournament.
Lively still wears a mask to protect his nose as he recovers from a nasal fracture. Mavs coach Jason Kidd envisions a possibility for Lively to remove it during the Mavs' three-game homestand, but an exact day remains. The original timetable was supposed to be three to four weeks from his February 5 surgery.
“I don’t know how much longer hopefully maybe it comes off this home stand,” Kidd said. “But it’s been some time now where he’s probably getting comfortable wearing it."
The Mavs need to string together some wins soon after losing four of their previous five games. A loss against the Pacers started this downward trend at the start of a four-game Eastern Conference road trip. Dallas will have a chance to defeat Indiana in a rematch in its upcoming game.
