The Slovenian star boy will have a tough road ahead in his championship dream. Despite his consistent performance on the court, he has found himself on the injury report consistently throughout this postseason for various injuries. But there is always uncertainty about how far he can run, carrying all his injuries. Tonight, in Conference Finals Game 2 against the Minnesota Timberwolves, the 25-year-old dropped a slight scare to the Dallas Mavericks fam.

Luka Magic was seen in immense pain during the first quarter. During this postseason, he has been carrying left ankle soreness, right knee sprain, and a sore Achilles. Above all, in Game 1, he was seen bleeding from his knee.

Notably, Doncic clocked out in the first quarter around the 3-minute mark and left to the locker room. He again returned to the floor at the start of the second quarter. The Mavs roster has had a tough culture throughout the season. Even the head coach, Jason Kidd, addressed the mentality that his team has in the regular season. He said, “. We’re a physical team, the Mavs, we’re physical. All the cuts and broken noses that we have, you should see the other guys.” 

Speaking of Luka Doncic, Kidd added, “He’s not soft That’s for sure. He’s one of the toughest kids that I’ve had the opportunity to coach. And he’s not scared of a fight.” In fact, the Mavs star has exactly lived by his coach’s words as he continued to show up on the court and deliver as well. In this postseason, he has recorded 27.7 points, 9.4 rebounds, and 9 assists per game, almost a triple-double average.

And, in tonight’s game, despite getting caught on camera, visibly in pain, he anchored the side with 16 points 6 rebounds, and 5 assists in the first half alone. Especially when Anthony Edwards seemed locked into payback for the Game 1 embarrassment, dropping 13 points in the first half.

Can the Mavs do it without Luka Doncic?

Before the arrival of Kyrie Irving, the Mavs had the Slovenian star literally carrying them. Even though he still has been doing the same, Uncle Drew gracefully accepted the role of the second fiddle on the side. So it would be difficult for Irving to lead the team to glory without Doncic. Importantly, the 25-year-old leads the team in points, assists, rebounds, and even in steals this postseason.

Kai held the second place in the list, scoring an average of 21.8 points. Hence losing Doncic could be a costly business for the Mavs. Notably, the regular season also proved that the Mavs could get demolished in his absence, as they held the record 4-8 without him.

Moreover, Irving himself revealed that the semi-final series against the OKC Thunder was “the hardest” in his NBA career. On the other hand, the Wolves eliminated the defending champions in a hard-fought Game 7 clash. They immediately brought the reputation of toughness into the Conference Finals.

While the Mavs had the first laugh, the tables can turn at any moment during this series. So the Mavs have to bring in their best squad to take on the Wolves to reach their first Finals under the Luka Doncic era. Will the Slovenian star bring home his first ring? Let us know in the comments.

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.