Is Luka Doncic Playing Tonight? Latest Mavericks Injury Report Ahead of Game 1 vs Okc

The Dallas Mavericks will play their first semifinal game against the Oklahoma City Thunder within the next few hours. The franchise has reached this stage for the first time since the 2010-11 season, and expectations will be high. To abide by, the team will need its two leading scorers, Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving, to be side by side during the matchup. Thanks to a recent update, the chances of the same happening seem pretty high.

A few hours ago, NBA reporter Grant Afseth took to his official X account to highlight details from the Mavericks’ recently released Injury Report. According to it, Luka Doncic once again finds his name listed in the ‘Probable’ category. While this is good news for the Mavericks roster, the update also revealed that they will have to go into Game 1 without the presence of power forward Maxi Kleber. Furthermore, Olivier-Maxence Prosper continues to remain in the ‘Out’ category.

During the first round of the playoffs, Luka Doncic developed signs of a knee ailment. The situation wasn’t bad initially, allowing the player to make appearances and perform well. By the time Game 5 occurred, his injury began to cause troubles, and he was listed on the report as ‘probable’. Even then, the player made himself available and proceeded to score 35 points, seven rebounds, and ten assists. The Slovenian player seldom misses a game while being listed in the ‘probable’ category. Therefore, with the high stakes awaiting his roster during the OKC clash, he would be sure to make himself available for the same.

Maxi Kleber was constantly present during all six of the Mavericks’ playoff games against the LA Clippers. Unfortunately, in the last one, he dislocated his shoulder in the middle of the game. According to ‘The Athletic’, the severity of the injury will cause the player to miss out on a significant amount of time. It may even result in him getting sidelined for the rest of the playoffs. Olivier-Maxence Prosper has been out of the main lineup for over two weeks. However, given the player’s average of 3 points, 2 rebounds, and 0.6 assists, his absence has not negatively impacted the Mavericks till now.

Unlike their rivals, the Oklahoma City Thunder has no major players listed on its Injury Report. The only individual on it, Olivier Sarr, appeared in only 15 games during the regular season and had been entirely absent from the franchise’s first-round playoff run.

Luka Doncic against the OKC

Having competed against them on 13 occasions within the last six years, Luka Doncic has had his share of experience in dealing with the Oklahoma City Thunder. The Mavericks have an 8-5 win record against them, with most of the games having the Slovenian star as the leading scorer.

During the 13 games, Doncic has recorded an average score of 28 points, 8.8 rebounds, and 8.8 assists. He has shot an average of 9.2-20.3 field goals, 3.0-9.3 three-pointers, and 6.5-8.5 free throws per game. With an average of 35.1 minutes, his playing time has been consistent with his last ten games.

The 5x NBA All-Star clashed with OKC twice during the ongoing NBA tournament. The first game ended in a loss for the Mavericks. However, Doncic ended the night by securing 36 points, fifteen rebounds, and eighteen assists to his name. This ended up being the player’s 59th regular season triple-double. The second and most recent game had him recording 32 points, eight rebounds, and nine assists. With Kyrie Irving and Maxi Kleber dropping an additional 25 and 12 points, respectively, the Mavericks were able to win by a wide margin of 35 points.

Luka Doncic is the X factor behind his franchise’s success during the ongoing tournament. Despite facing a fully healthy OKC roster, his past experience will play a huge role in determining who emerges victorious in the Paycom Center Arena within the next few hours.