Mavs Injury Report: Luka Doncic, Tim Hardaway Jr, and Others’ Availability Ahead Of Game 6 vs Clippers

The Luka Doncic–led Dallas Mavericks have secured a 3-2 record against the LA Clippers during the ongoing Playoffs. This means that the franchise is now just one win away from heading to the next stage of the tournament: the Western Conference Semi-Finals. Looking to close this chapter and avoid another loss at the hands of James Harden and co., the Mavericks will be trying to utilize their full roster and put the best foot forward. Thanks to a recent update, the chances of the same happening looked really good.

A few hours ago, ESPN reporter Tim McMahon took to his official X account to highlight details from the Mavericks’ recently released injury report. According to this update, Luka Doncic is fortunately not listed. Furthermore, the only Mavericks player on the injury list is Tim Hardaway Jr., who has been absent from the main lineup since the last three playoff games.

Luka Doncic’s availability had been under a cloud of doubt ever since the player’s knee sprain seemed to be more of a bother than before. Before Game 5, he was revealed to be suffering from some flu-type symptoms for the past “five to six days.” Gladly, the situation was not severe, and the player was listed as ‘probable’ on the injury report. Given his absence from the recent update, the Slovenian player’s ailments seem to be behind him for now.

Tim Hardaway Jr. appeared during the first two playoff games of the Mavericks, but his performance was limited. During Game 2, he exited the court with just six minutes of playtime after rolling his ankle due to a failed three-pointer attempt. He was declared out of Game 3 and moved to ‘doubtful’ status by Game 4. As things started looking hopeful for Game 5, Tim McMahon broke the news that Hardaway Jr. had aggravated his injury during a practice session.

Moreover, he also affirmed that the player would not be able to appear for the next game. Having been listed as ‘Out’ once again in the recent report, it looks like Dallas fans won’t see their small forward return to the main lineup anytime soon.

Luka Doncic and Co.’s stats vs Clippers

From the LA Clippers side, Kawhi Leonard once again finds himself listed in the ‘Out’ category. The small forward had been diagnosed with right knee inflammation in March, and the ailment has been affecting him since then. While he was present during the first two playoff games, the deteriorating condition of his injury caused the player to stay on the sidelines again. Along with Leonard, point guard Terance Mann is listed as ‘Questionable’ for Game 6 in light of his lower leg contusion.

As for Doncic, the Slovenian point guard established a remarkable average during the regular season. Luka Doncic maintained it during the playoffs, averaging 30.2 points, 9.2 rebounds, and 8.8 assists during his last five appearances. His field goal attempts range between 24 and 26, with a success rate of 41.7%.  While his free throws barely touch the double-digit mark, Luka’s success rate with them is 83.3%. His three-pointers stood at 38.2% during the regular season, now dropping to 26.3% during the playoffs.

As Luka Doncic entered Game 5 with the flu and a knee issue, some expected him to take a step back from leading the offensive play. However, he went two steps forward and ended his minutes with a score of 35 points, 7 rebounds, and 5 assists.

Doncic’s performance allowed him to bring his number of 20-point consecutive games to 16, surpassing the record earlier set by Bulls legend Michael Jordan. Furthermore, he became the fifth player to successfully score 30+ points in at least 20 playoff games before crossing the age of 25.

Do you think that Luka Doncic and Co. will manage to pull off a win in Game 6? Let us know in the comments down below.