Luka Doncic & Kristaps Porzingis Injury Update: Mavs Announce Decisions

Will Porzingis be available? Will Doncic make his long-awaited return to action after missing the last four games due to a sprained ankle?

DALLAS - A little more than halfway through the Dallas Mavericks’ road game with the Minnesota Timberwolves on Sunday, which the Mavs ultimately lost, the team announced that big man Kristaps Porzingis wouldn’t return due to “right foot soreness.”

Later, coach Jason Kidd said X-rays on the injury were negative.

Porzingis, who already missed a handful of games earlier this season with what the team called “back soreness,” has a significant injury history over the course of his career. Hopefully he was just held out for precautionary reasons, but anytime you have a 7-3 guy with a foot issue - now, officially a "toe issue'' -  it is cause for concern.

The already short-handed Mavs were hoping to get superstar Luka Doncic back in the next couple of games. Now, it’s looking like Dallas could be without its best- and second-best player for a little while as well.

On Monday afternoon, the team announced that Luka is out for the next game, Minnesota at Dallas on Tuesday, and that KP "questionable.''

Also out: Reggie Bullock (health & safety protocols), Willie Cauley-Stein (personal reasons), Josh Green (health & safety protocols), Maxi Kleber (health & safety protocols) and Eugene Omoruyi (right foot injury).

The Mavs, due to injuries and COVID, are scrambling for bodies, and on Monday signed a pair of newcomers. (Details here.)

On the season, Porzingis has averaged nearly 20 points per game to go with eight rebounds, two assists and nearly two blocks per game as well. Despite having good points and rebounds averages, Porzingis, who is a 35-percent three-point shooter for his career, has struggled shooting the long ball this season at 29-percent.

The Mavs will see Minnesota again on Tuesday night as the two-game mini-series shifts south to Dallas. Will Porzingis be available for that game? With no Luka ... Can the the rest of the roster show up in hard times to keep 14-15 Dallas afloat in the ever-so-tight Western Conference standings? Stay tuned to DallasBasketball.com all week for updates.