Superstar Mavs player Luka Doncic will be able to play against the Thunder, but it’s unclear how Kyrie Irving and other important players will fare.
Dallas — The Dallas Mavericks were without Luka Doncic on the list of inactive players during their 108-94 loss to the Memphis Grizzlies. The announcement of his daughter’s birth revealed the personal reasons behind the Slovenian superstar’s exclusion from the list.
Doncic was eligible to play since his name was omitted from the Mavs’ injury report prior to their Saturday game against the Thunder. Josh Green (right elbow sprain), Tim Hardaway Jr. (back spasms), and Kyrie Irving (right foot pain) are all listed by the team as questionable.
Apart from several crucial players on the perimeter who are questionable for the game against the Thunder, Dallas has already ruled out Dante Exum due to personal reasons and Maxi Kleber because of a dislocation of his right little toe. Until an official statement from the team is received, it is unknown when either player might make a return.
Dallas Mavericks superstar Luka Doncic against the Houston Rockets.
In an atypically subpar effort, Irving finished with 10 points on 3 of 15 shots from the field and 0 of 5 from beyond the arc against the Grizzlies. The All-Star guard said that he felt a “tweak” in his foot when Memphis’ defense closed in on him, casting doubt on his availability for Saturday’s game.
“I had a bit of a tweak to my foot at the end of the first quarter, so just trying to get my balance underneath me — it’s hard to settle back in once you feel a tweak like that, especially in your feet,” Irving stated. “I was just doing my best to stay mentally prepared for anything that could happen out there.”
Irving did say he wanted to play on Saturday, but he also said they would have to check on him first thing in the morning. He acknowledged not knowing if the damage resulted from overstimulation or from a strenuous recent schedule. His situation will be something to keep an eye on if you’re a seasoned player who values reaching your peak during the season.
“I’m looking like I’m going to play tomorrow, but we’ll just see how it feels in the rising,” Irving stated.
Players such as Jaden Hardy and Seth Curry might see more opportunity again if Irving is sidelined, given the multitude of uncertainties surrounding the Mavs’ uncertain player statuses. Depending on whether Hardaway or Green is sidelined, Olivier-Maxence Prosper becomes another player to keep an eye on on the wing.
The Mavs will take three days off before playing at American Airlines Center on Wednesday against the Utah Jazz.
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