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USA Today via Reuters

USA Today via Reuters

Luka Doncic brought out his inner Kobe Bryant after the Monday night win. The Dallas Mavericks superstar made it to the starting line-up after being listed in the Probables. The team deemed him doubtful about taking the floor against the Washington Wizards, owing to a fractured nose. However, he laced up his shoes and put up a gaming-winning performance to register their 31st win. In the process, the 24-year-old took the risk of further aggravating the injury and also refused to take precautions.

In the latest report shared by ESPN’s Tim MacMahon, he revealed the Slovenian star’s adamancy to protect his nose. MacMohan, in his X post, stated that Doncic refused to reconsider his decision to wear the carbon fiber mask. He also quoted Luka, who said, “I can’t do it… So uncomfortable.”

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Ahead of the Mavs’ outing against the OKC Thunder, video clips and images of Luka Doncic wearing the mask at the practice session surfaced on the internet. While he expected to wear the mask against the Thunder, he just sat on the bench, wearing the mask, but showed up on the court without it.

He went on to drop 32 points with 8 rebounds and 9 assists, leading the team to a blow-out 146-111 win. Similarly, he played the entire Wizards game without the mask and produced a triple-double (26-11-15) to seal a great comeback win in the fourth quarter.

While it may be risky for the team to let the star play without protection, it brought out the Mamba Mentality. There are multiple instances of Kobe taking on the court with injury. The most memorable one is when he dropped two clutch free throws with a torn Achilles against GSW in 2013.

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Moreover, the Mavs HC Jason Kidd also feels the same way about his team. He revealed his team’s mentality after tonight’s game.

Jason Kidd reveals the Mavs’ mentality

Following the 112-104 victory over the Wizards, Kidd took to the post-game press conference and revealed the team’s mentality. One of the reporters asked about Luka’s nose injury. Kidd responded saying, “He will be fine, I think. Stitches in the nose, he is rolling with the face right now. I dont know if he is going to wear a mask. We are a physical team, the Mavs… All the cuts and broken noses that we have. You should see the other guys.

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Apart from Luka, Kyrie Irving is also suffering from a sprain in his thumb. Despite the tough mentality, a mistake could eventually cost the season for the Mavs.

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What do you make of Luka’s decision to not wear the mask? Let us know in the comments below.