Mavericks’ Luka Doncic ruled out vs. Warriors amid knee issue

Dallas — In the second game of a back-to-back, the Dallas Mavericks will host the Golden State Warriors on Friday night, but they will have to do it without Luka Doncic.
Due to right knee pain, Doncic’s status on the injury report was reduced to doubtful on Friday. As a result, he has been formally ruled out of the game before kickoff. Josh Green was ruled out while Dereck Lively II was labeled as questionable. Maxi Kleber is a game-time decision.

The Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd has stated that the injury is probably not going to be “long-term,” which is good news. However, it will undoubtedly be a matter to keep an eye on.

Dallas kept their spot as the No. 5 seed in the Western Conference on Thursday by defeating the Atlanta Hawks 109-95 behind the play of Luka and Kyrie Irving. In the match, Doncic recorded yet another double-double, concluding with 25 points, 12 rebounds, and 8 assists.

The game was all about defense. In the end, the Mavs kept Atlanta to under 100 points while forcing 21 turnovers from the Hawks. They’ll need to put up a similar performance on Friday against the formidable, if occasionally unreliable, 2023–24 Warriors.
Doncic has occasionally struggled with injuries over the 2023–24 campaign. He has, for the most part, been able to stay on the floor. The Mavericks are taking things cautiously as the postseason approaches.

How then will Golden State be ready to play the Mavericks without Luka Doncic?

Without Luka, “you still have plenty to worry about,” stated Steve Kerr, the head coach of the Warriors. “Kyrie turns into a focal point, but they still have really good guys. It unquestionably modifies matchups and the way we must approach specific game mechanics.

Luka has the highest point per game (33.8) in the league. In addition, he is making effective 48.6 percent of his field goals and 38.2 percent of his deep shots. Without a doubt, one of the best players in the NBA is Doncic, and the Warriors will be extremely difficult to beat without him.
Nevertheless, in recent games, the Mavericks defense has proven that it is capable of playing well. Naturally, without Doncic, Kyrie Irving’s offensive skill will provide the Mavericks with a leader.

Put another way, despite Doncic’s absence, there is still optimism. Needless to say, it’s not ideal, and the Mavericks are hoping he can get back to full strength soon. It’s possible that he’ll return for the Houston Rockets game on Sunday.

For the time being, Kyrie Irving and the Mavericks will aim to defeat the skilled Warriors on Friday night in Dallas with a significant victory. As further information becomes available, we’ll keep an eye on Luka Doncic’s injury situation and share it with you.