With the Celtics booking their spot in the finals last night, all eyes are now on tonight’s game between Dallas and Minnesota. Winning the first three games of the series, Luka Doncic and Co. are only one win away from sending the Wolves home and conquering the West. But their ticket to the NBA Finals might not come too easy as Dallas suffers a massive blow concerning Luka Doncic and the latest injury report.

If you have been following the Mavs season so far, you might have noticed Luka occasionally laboring up and down the court. That’s because he has been dealing with multiple injuries for several months. And because of his lingering right knee sprain and left ankle soreness, Luka has been deemed questionable for tonight’s crucial game.

Apart from these injuries, Luka has also been dealing with some back issues for quite some time. During the West semis against OKC, TNT’s Jared Greenberg even had this to say about Luka’s health, “I was told if this were the regular season, he would have been shut down for a minimum of at least two weeks.”

However, with a chance to make it to the finals for the first time in his career, he’s been playing through injuries. Notably, he has even produced spectacular results. For the first three games of this series, Luka averaged nearly 33 points and has clearly been the best player.

But this heavy load might have taken a toll on him and worsened his lingering injuries. There is a chance the Slovenian might sit this one out and get much-needed rest while his team tries to close out the series.

Can the Mavs win without Luka Doncic?

The best-case scenario for Luka would be that the Mavs win without him tonight and he gets the long rest before the Finals. That would help him recover from his injuries to a certain extent. However, it might be easier said than done. Even Charles Barkley was in favor of resting Luka before the last game. “Get the game over and I wouldn’t even play Luka in Game 4 if I’m up three-zip.” But his scoring and playmaking ability hold the Mavs’ offense together.

Being a guard-centric team, most of Dallas’ offense is generated by Luka and Kyrie. And if you remove Luka, Kai might not cut it alone. Because of Luka’s crazy lobs and timely assists, his team’s big men have been so productive. However, in his absence, they might also struggle to find their rhythm.

That would give the Wolves a tiny window to exploit their weakness. Moreover, Ant-Man and the Wolves will likely not go down without a fight and will do everything they can to avoid the sweep. So, while the odds are in Dallas’ favor, they might need Luka tonight more than ever.

Do you agree?

Stay tuned for more such updates, and to follow in what Shaq’s ex-agent, Leonard Armato had to say about the marketing genius, watch this video.