Luka Doncic Reveals Cause for Hamstring Issue vs. Celtics

Dallas Mavericks star Luka Doncic overcame a left hamstring issue in the team's win over the Boston Celtics.

During the Dallas Mavericks' 95-92 win over the Boston Celtics, there was a concerning moment where Luka Doncic was holding his hamstring. He even went to the locker room during the first half because of it, but was later cleared to return. 

Doncic ended up not being limited in the second half and was instrumental in the Mavericks out-executing the Celtics down the stretch. He finished the game with 26 points, eight rebounds, and eight assists in 39 minutes.

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“I think the 3:30 (Boston time) start, all the parts weren’t awake yet,” Mavericks coach Jason Kidd said. “I don’t think it was bothering him in the second half.”

After the game, Doncic explained how his hamstring was tight during warm-ups and experienced a cramp after a drive to the basket. His whole leg was "a little tight" at one point. 

“It was tight when I was warming up,” Doncic said. “I landed (after a drive to the basket) and it was like a cramp and then my whole leg was a little tight.”

Perhaps most interesting of all about Doncic's first half performance was that he still managed to get by players after the switch despite being limited by his hamstring. 

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There was a clear boost in Doncic's play in the second half as he scored 17 of his points while shooting 5-8 (62.5 percent) from the floor and 3-6 (50.0 percent) from beyond the arc. He achieved that despite being frequently being double-teamed by the Celtics defense.

''That's the thing about (Luka Doncic), he's competitive,'' Mavericks forward Dorian Finney-Smith said. ''When he's out there, you're not going to be able to tell he's hurt. He still put up numbers like he did and wasn't even moving as fast as he usually does.''

With Doncic managing to get in gear physically, the Mavericks ended up pulling off what was arguably their most impressive win of the season against the league’s best defense. No team in the NBA was hotter than the Celtics, and for the Mavs to win on their home floor on the day of Kevin Garnett's jersey retirement? That's no easy feat. 

The Mavericks return to action on Wednesday when they take on Kevin Durant and the Brooklyn Nets.