Luka Doncic Isn’t Optimistic About Knee Injury Ahead Of 2nd Round Match-up With OKC: “Don’t Think It’s Going To Get Better”

Dallas Mavericks star Luka Doncic overcame his knee ailment during the last two games and performed well. Thanks to his contribution, the franchise has eliminated the LA Clippers from the tournament, giving them a clear path to proceed to the Eastern Conference Semifinals. During this next stage, the Mavericks will face off against the Oklahoma City Thunder, with whom they share a 4-6 record. If the pressure to do well wasn’t already starting to get to the minds of the elite roster, a recent update may or may not accelerate that process.

Luka Doncic interacted with several media members in the aftermath of the recent win. When talking about his knee injury, the player revealed, “I don’t think it’s going to get better before I get some rest. That’s a lot of minutes. Maybe the summer.” This means that if Doncic’s condition worsens, there is a good chance he may be absent during the first few games of the Conference Semifinals. Maybe from the whole series itself!

The same worry seemed to be reflecting on others too. As another individual asked Doncic’s thoughts about participating in the next round, he replied: “I am going to rest today before I talk about the next series. You know, I will see you guys tomorrow.”

The Serbian player had been facing trouble with his knee since the commencement of the playoff series. By the time Game 5 occurred, the situation got a bit worse, and he ended up being listed on the Injury Report as ‘Probable’. However, the player was present during that matchup, and his name was did not appear on the report released before Game 6.

Bearing the recent update in mind, the Mavericks may have to prepare for the possibility of going into the matchup without their lead scorer. While Kyrie Irving can manage to lead the offensive effort, Doncic’s possible absence will have severe consequences for the franchise during the Semifinals.

Luka Doncic Stats vs Oklahoma City Thunder

During his six years with the Mavericks, Luka Doncic has faced off against the Oklahoma City Thunder 13 times. With him being on the roster, the Mavericks have held a better win record (8-5) against them. In these games, the 5x NBA All-Star has secured an average score of 28 points, 8.8 rebounds, and 8.8 assists. He has fallen below the 20-point threshold only twice, while he has gone above 30 in his five most recent matchups.

Doncic had clashed with OKC twice during the ongoing tournament. While the first game ended in a loss for the Mavericks, the player recorded his 59th regular season triple-double by scoring 36 points, 15 rebounds, and 18 assists. His score wasn’t as high during the next game (32 points, 8 rebounds and 9 assists), but it was still enough to help the team win by a wide margin of 146-111.

Dec 2, 2023; Dallas, Texas, USA; Dallas Mavericks guard Luka Doncic (77) celebrates during the second half against the Oklahoma City Thunder at the American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY SportsDo you believe the Mavericks can efficiently compete against OKC without Luka Doncic? Let us know in the comments down below.