‘Optimism’: New Take on Luka Doncic Injury for Mavs at Jazz Game 4

“Optimistic? That’s a good word,” said coach Jason Kidd on Friday from Utah. “He’s going in the right direction.”

The Dallas Mavericks, despite being without superstar Luka Doncic in their first-round playoff series so far due to a calf strain, have managed to stay competitive with the Utah Jazz - and more.

After losing a closely-contested Game 1, Jalen Brunson has exploded to Help Dallas lead the series 2-1.

And what about Luka in Saturday’s Game 4?

Tom Pennington/Getty Images

© Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports

Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports

Jason Kidd on Luka Doncic’s Game 4 prospects: 

“Optimistic? That’s a good word,” said coach Jason Kidd on Friday from Utah. “He’s going in the right direction.”

That would help.

In three games played against the Jazz in the regular season, Doncic averaged 30 points, 11 rebounds and 7.7 assists per game while shooting 45.6 percent from the field, 44.4 percent from deep and 80 percent from the free-throw like. The Mavs were 2-1 vs. the Jazz in those games.

As good as Brunson and Spencer Dinwiddie have been at penetrating Utah’s defense and getting wide-open looks for their teammates, adding Doncic back into the mix only enhances the Mavs’ chances of pulling off a series win.

Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports

Tom Pennington/Getty Images

Tom Pennington/Getty Images

When you add in Maxi Kleber’s recent confidence boost (he scored 25 points on 8-of-11 shooting from deep in Game 2) and Dorian Finney-Smith’s continued stellar defense on Jazz star Donovan Mitchell, all things appear to be trending in a favorable direction for the Mavericks.

That being said, though, Doncic will now have to do something that he’s never done in his four-year career so far if the Mavs are going to win their first playoff series since the 2011 NBA Finals: win a game in Utah.

Previous to this week … The Mavs have only topped the Jazz in Utah one time in the last six years, and that came in Jan. 2020 as Tim Hardaway Jr. led the way with Doncic out due to an ankle injury.

That’s now changed. Maybe Luka is about to fuel more change as well.