Standing tall against the defiant Anthony Edwards and Co., the Dallas Mavericks currently hold a 2-0 lead during the ongoing Western Conference Finals. Two more wins will allow them to enter the NBA Finals for the first time since the 2010-11 season. With Game 3 set to take place in the American Airlines Center, their home turf, the Mavericks will be looking to close the series as quickly as they can by not handing the Timberwolves a win. Unfortunately, a recent update has shown that the franchise may have to do so without the presence of their lead scorer, Luka Doncic.

The Slovenian player has been dealing with a knee ailment since the beginning of the playoffs. Fortunately, it did not prevent him from missing out on any of the games. Everyone noticed how he’s grimacing through all these games, physically. And despite the physical pain, he has still managed to shine through for his side in a remarkable fashion.

However, the situation has now worsened because of the ankle soreness, which is new. The same became noticeable during the course of Game 2 of the Conference Finals, when Doncic could be seen visibly in pain. The ailments are not going anywhere, anytime soon, and the Mavericks star also knows this.“I don’t think it’s going to get better before I get some rest,” said Doncic after the conclusion of the playoff series against the Clippers. “That’s a lot of minutes. Maybe the summer”.

As per TNT’s Jared Greenberg, Doncic’s pain is such that would normally keep him on the sidelines. Just because of the severity of the situation, Doncic is pulling through.

NBA reporter Grant Afseth took to his official X account to highlight details from the Mavericks’ recently released Injury Report. Per the same, Luka Doncic has been placed in the ‘Questionable’ category in light of his right knee sprain and left ankle soreness. He will join two other players on the list, Maxi Kleber and Olivier-Maxence Prosper, who remain out.

Fortunately for the Mavericks, no other significant player is set to be absent from the lineup. Maxi Kleber has been absent since the beginning of the second round of the playoffs, while Olivier-Maxence Prosper had been ruled out even before then.

From the Minnesota Timberwolves’ side, Mike Conley Jr. continues to remain in the ‘Questionable’ category. Even though his Achilles Injury had him in that category in the last two games as well, the point guard still made himself available and played for an average of 32 minutes. The other occupant of the report, 22-year-old Jaylen Clark, has been absent from the main lineup since the beginning of the tournament.

How has Luka Doncic performed against the Minnesota Timberwolves in the Western Conference Finals?

Both the Dallas Mavericks and the Minnesota Timberwolves had gone through a struggle to reach the Western Conference Finals. Thanks to the efforts of star player Anthony Edwards, the latter franchise is now at this stage for the first time in 20 years. However, Luka Doncic and co have been making a commendable effort to ensure that the Timberwolves don’t go further than this.

During his two recent wins against the Timberwolves, Luka Doncic has put up an average score of 32.5 points, 8 rebounds, and 10.5 assists. This score was made possible by the player’s average 11-24.5 (44.9%) field goals, 4-10.5 (38.1%) three-pointers, and 6.5-7 (92.9%) free throws. This shows that even if Kyrie Irving cannot be relied upon much in terms of free throws, Doncic can still step up.

The most recent Mavericks-Timberwolves clash saw the 5x NBA All-Star record a triple-double with 32 points, 10 rebounds, and 13 assists. Through this feat, the player is now tied with Oscar Robertson for the 10th-highest total triple-doubles made in playoffs. The feat may have gotten overshadowed if Anthony Edwards and co. had won the matchup, but the Mavericks star personally prevented that. As the Timberwolves held a 108-106 lead during the final 12.1 seconds, Doncic used a three-pointer to put the team ahead and secure the win.

Stay tuned for more such updates. And to know what Leonard Armato, Shaquille O’Neal’s ex-agent had to say about the latest happenings in the NBA world, check out this video.