“The next play, next game, next day mentality,” that’s the motto the Dallas Mavericks are embracing. While their season so far hasn’t gone exactly as planned, it’s still too early to make any judgments, as the Luka Doncic–Kyrie Irving duo has already proved capable of achieving the unbelievable. After four consecutive wins, they are marching to meet their rivals from the Eastern side of the conference, the Miami Heat. However, what makes their case weaker is the big blow they received because of injury issues.

Injury Report

• Dallas Mavericks

Luka Doncic, the player who has pushed the Mavericks to new heights in his six seasons, will miss the trip to the Kaseya Center due to a wrist sprain. While the franchise has confirmed the injury is not serious, Doncic will reportedly be resting for about a week. Australian guard Dante Exum will also remain sidelined as he hasn’t yet recovered from right wrist surgery that he sustained during the training camp before the season began. Meanwhile, the team has yet to confirm Daniel Gafford‘s status and has listed him as questionable for the time being because of his left shoulder soreness.

• Miami Heat

Whereas, the Heat is on a comparatively brighter side as both Jimmy Butler and Terry Rozier are listed as questionable for Sunday’s matchup, but have not been ruled out. Terry didn’t appear in their last game against the Sixers due to his right foot discomfort but could be given the green signal to get back on the court today. On the flip side, Butler did play the previous game but was sidelined due to illness and did not participate in yesterday’s practice. However, according to Insider Chris Haynes, he will play against the Mavs. The player who will not be available is Dru Smith because of the bruise on his right knee.

Now that we’ve covered the players who won’t be appearing in the clash, let’s take a closer look at those who have a clear shot at taking the court today.

Depth Chart

Dallas Mavericks

Miami Heat

Mavericks vs Heat: regular season H2H and struggles

The two rivals from opposite conferences have faced off 75 times in the regular season, with both teams going toe-to-toe. While the Mavs have been slightly better in the last three seasons with a 6-2 record, the Heat took the edge in their overall head-to-head record (38-37). This means that if the Mavericks secure a victory in the upcoming game, the series will be tied.

Considering their current winning streak, it doesn’t seem like an impossible task. After all, the Heat haven’t been in their best shape this season. They’ve only had six successes in their 13 games and so is the case with the Mavs. Despite having one of the strongest duos, they couldn’t find their rhythm yet. And with Doncic absent from the lineup, it won’t be easy for them to overcome the challenge.

However, they still have the veteran leadership of Kyrie Irving and Klay Thompson. Sure, they won’t be able to fully fill the huge void that the Slovenian’s absence leaves but their stepping up would be enough for the Mavericks to compete against the Heat. But do you think the Mavs will be able to expand their winning streak or will they finally have to give in to the Eastern side? Let’s find the answers today at 6:00 PM ET.