Game 1 of the Western Conference Semifinals was a struggle for Luka Doncic and the Dallas Mavericks. They stayed in the contest until the second-half, but the Oklahoma City Thunder took control in the fourth quarter. The Thunder defeated the Mavs 117-95 on Tuesday but Dallas is looking to bounce back in Game 2.
Doncic’s health has been a subject of discussion throughout the NBA playoffs so far. He sprained his right knee during the Mavericks’ first-round series against the Los Angeles Clippers. Doncic appeared to be in pain after tripping over Luguentz Dort in Game 1 on Tuesday.
He ultimately struggled throughout Tuesday’s game. In order to upset the No. 1 seed, Dallas is going to need Doncic to play at a high level. Kyrie Irving is a superstar but the Mavs need their two best players to both be on top of their games.
Of course, being available is of the utmost importance. So is Luka Doncic playing tonight in Game 2 vs. the Thunder?
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Luka Doncic’s injury status vs. Thunder
Doncic is currently listed as probable for Game 2 with a right knee sprain, per the NBA injury report. Maxi Kleber (shoulder) and Olivier-Maxence Prosper (ankle) have already been ruled out for the contest.
It is worth noting that Doncic was also listed as probable for Game 1 before being made available ahead of tip-off.
Luka still played 40 minutes on Tuesday despite battling the injury. He managed to score 19 points while recording nine assists and six rebounds as well. Doncic shot just 31.6 percent from the field and 12.5 percent from beyond the arc, however.
The three-point shots have not been falling for Luka in recent action. He’s still made a number of clutch baskets, but his three-point efficiency is trending in a negative direction.
His injury seems to be impacting his overall performance. After all, Luka’s previous playoff experience should play a role in helping him perform at a high level. He played fairly well against the Clippers, but Doncic did not look like his usual MVP-caliber self in Game 1.
The Thunder made an effort to go at Luka as well. They were able to blow past the Mavs star while he was on defense. Although that has been an issue at times in the past for Doncic, it was especially apparent on Tuesday.
Luka had no interest in making excuses after the loss.
“Who cares? We lost,” Doncic said when asked about his injury. “We just gotta move on to the next one. I gotta be better, we gotta be better… We gotta focus. They’re a great team, great defensive team, great offensive team. So it’s not going to be easy at all. We gotta play very good basketball and focused basketball for 48 minutes.”
Thursday’s Mavericks-Thunder playoff clash is scheduled for 9:30 PM EST. The Mavs are hoping to even the series at one game apiece with a bounce-back victory.
For now, when it comes to the question of if Luka Doncic is playing tonight in Game 2 vs. the Thunder, the answer is uncertain.
