Mavs' Luka Doncic OUT vs. Thunder; Details on Hamstring Injury

Mavs superstar Luka Doncic has been ruled out for Thursday's nationally televised matchup against the Thunder.

OKLAHOMA CITY—The Dallas Mavericks will play without Luka Doncic in Thursday night's matchup against the Oklahoma City Thunder. On Wednesday, he began dealing with left hamstring soreness during the Mavs' 109-99 victory over the Golden State Warriors.

Doncic did not travel with the Mavs to Oklahoma City and will be ruled out for the matchup against the Thunder. 

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In 30 minutes, Doncic totaled 21 points, nine assists, and three rebounds against the Warriors. While he didn't appear in the game at all during the fourth quarter, he went to the locker room midway through the period. The team later announced he was ruled out for the rest of the game.

"[Doncic] gave me the signal that his [hamstring[ was tight, so we took him out," Mavs coach Jason Kidd said after the game.

Despite Doncic being sidelined, the Mavs closed the fourth quarter against the Warriors with Kyrie Irving guiding the team. Irving often held a double-figure advantage and led by as many as 18 points. Irving totaled 23 points, 10 assists, and eight rebounds on the night. Daniel Gafford substantially performed by adding 10 points, seven blocks, and six boards.

When Kidd addressed the media, it still wasn't decided if Doncic would travel to Oklahoma City, but he ultimately did not make the trip. Kidd described the situation as "fluid," with the team discussing it while he was at the podium.

"I'll have a better answer tomorrow. We'll see. This is a fluid thing," Kidd said. "This is being talked about now. We'll find out in a couple of minutes if he's going or not." 

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The Mavs enter Thursday's game on a four-game winning streak but will be tested against the Thunder, who are coming off a 121-111 loss against the Indiana Pacers with multiple days of rest. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led with 30 pints, 10 rebounds, and five assists. Chet Holmgren added 15 points, 13 rebounds and two blocks. 

Oklahoma City enters the matchup with an impressive 45-20 record, ranking second in the Western Conference standings. The Mavs have gone 38-28 through 66 games, placing them eighth in the West, trailing the Sacramento Kings and Phoenix Suns by a half-game.

Doncic has averaged 34.3 points, 9.8 assists, and 9.0 rebounds in 58 games this season. The Mavs will surely miss his production, causing them to need Irving to step into the role of top option to set the tone against Oklahoma City, with the rest of the unit needing to take on more responsibility, too.