Will Luka Doncic Play Tonight? Portland Trail Blazers vs Dallas Mavericks: Injury Updates, Lineups, and Prediction

The Dallas Mavericks are winless against the Portland Trail Blazers this season. The Mavericks lost their first game on February 14th, the next one on March 19th, but they have a chance to redeem themselves when they face the Blazers again on Sunday. 

Venue: Moda Center

Time: 10:00 PM ET (March 21, 2021) 

This will be the 3rd and final meeting between the Dallas Mavericks and the Portland Trail Blazers in the 2020-21 regular-season. The Mavericks have one last chance to record a win against Damian Lillard and Portland, but the odds are truly against them. 

Portland Trail Blazers vs Dallas Mavericks: Injury Updates and Lineups 

Blazers

The Portland Trail Blazers have been rejuvenated ever since the return of CJ McCollum. Dame Lillard has got his wingman back, and the duo is ready to make a deep run to rise to the top of the Western Conference. 

Portland is on a 7-3 run in its last 10 games and has been averaging close to 116 points per game. The offense has bulked up with McCollum’s return, and the Blazers are one of the top distance shooting teams in the league. 

The Blazers will be without big man Jusuf Nurkic (wrist) for the upcoming game as his recovery timetable isn’t complete yet. He’s the only player missing Sunday’s game besides Zach Collins. 

Possible Lineup

Damian Lillard (G) 

CJ McCollum (G) 

Derrick Jones Jr. (F) 

Robert Covington (F) 

Enes Kanter (C) 

Mavericks

The Dallas Mavericks are currently the 8th seed in the West, but fans expected them to be a more tantalizing presence this season. The Mavs’ offensive system has not worked to full effect as Luka Doncic is the only reliable scorer on the team. 

Doncic is 6th in the league in terms of scoring, and the Mavericks averaged 109.1 points in their last 10 games. The team needs to sustain its form in order to make a case as strong postseason contenders. 

Willie Cauley-Stein and Tyrell Terry are the injured players who will miss Sunday’s game against Portland, while James Johnson will also sit out due to personal reasons. 

Possible Lineup

Luka Doncic (G) 

Josh Richardson (G) 

Dorian Finney-Smith (F) 

Maxi Kleber (F) 

Kristaps Porzingis (C) 

Prediction

The Portland Trail Blazers hold the 5th best offensive rating in the league (117.41). They are currently well shaped on the offense when compared to the Mavericks and the backcourt is also complete now. 

The odds are heavily against Dallas in the upcoming fixture due to the previous game’s result. Luka Doncic put up 38 points and 9 rebounds, but Portland neutralized the Kristaps Porzingis threat to race away with the victory. 

That’s exactly what we predict is going to happen on Sunday. The Blazers are a well-structured force that can seal yet another victory over the Dallas Mavericks.

If Lillard gets going early, then Portland has every chance of sealing a 3-0 record over the Mavericks this season.

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