Mavs' Luka Doncic Speaks on 'Tough' Injury Return After Loss vs. Lakers

Mavs superstar Luka Doncic returned to the team's lineup in a loss against the Lakers after a four-game injury absence caused by a right ankle sprain.

SAN FRANCISCO — Luka Doncic returned to the Dallas Mavericks lineup after a four-game injury absence due to a right ankle sprain. He finished with 33 points, 13 rebounds, and 10 assists, along with two steals and two blocks in 36 minutes. 

Doncic put together an efficient offensive performance, shooting 13-24 (54.2 percent) from the floor, but he shot 2-9 (22.2 percent) from the perimeter — producing 1.031 points per possession overall. He admitted it was challenging to maintain his legs in his first game back, resulting in 3-point shooting inconsistency. He was relieved when he finally saw one go down midway through the game. 

“For me, for the first game, it’s tough – the legs,” Doncic said. “I thought a lot of threes were going in, but it didn’t. So it's just that one that went in. It was a good feeling."

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The Mavs trailed just 55-53 at halftime but wound up getting outscored 42-27 in the third quarter — proving too much to overcome. Doncic highlighted the disparity in shotmaking between the two teams within that frame. The Lakers shot 15-23 (65.2 percent), 5-6 (83.3 percent) from deep, and 7-8 (87.5 percent) on free throws — all substantially better than Dallas' execution. 

"They couldn't miss a shot. I don't know. We tried. I think we played good defense, especially in the first half," Doncic said. “In the third quarter, they were just knocking everything down, so that was tough.”

Kyrie Irving collided with LeBron James in the first quarter, which resulted in him hurting his hip and seemingly impacting him for the remainder of the game. He ended with 12 points while shooting 4-16 (25.0 percent) overall, 1-5 (20.0 percent) from the perimeter, and making all three free throws. Doncic looks forward to both he and Irving regaining a rhythm simultaneously, making them "tough to stop."

"We did it before, you know, just some games, some days, one's going to have a good game," Doncic said. "Some days, others are going to have good games. But when we play both at our best, you know, it's kind of tough to stop us."

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Doncic pointed to the Mavs' defensive improvement as a factor in the team's success despite overcoming no shortage of recent injuries to important players. However, he wants the defense to become more of a foundational element to set the tone for the group instead of relying on hitting shots.  

"Yeah, I think it's our defense — our defense improved a lot since the start of the season," Doncic said. "But our defense needs to start the tempo. We need to have an offense. So when we play good defense, we have a good pace and just start knocking down shots."

The Mavs ultimately practiced for the first time since Dec. 21 after returning home to Dallas following the postponement of a matchup against the Golden State Warriors scheduled for Friday. After the loss against the Lakers, he admitted he doesn't remember the last time they practiced.

"I mean, it's tough. I don't remember the last time we had practice, honestly," Doncic said. "We were playing every other day, so it's tough, but that's the NBA season. You have 82 games. It's always a good tempo, so to come back, you have to make sure on your own to get ready for the game. It's just different tempos, so it's tough."

Doncic has averaged 33.6 points, 9.2 assists, and 8.3 rebounds in 35 games this season, continuing to provide an MVP-caliber impact for the Mavs. The team will return to action on Monday when they face the Boston Celtics.