Is Luka Doncic playing tonight against the Minnesota Timberwolves for Game 4? Latest on Mavericks 5x All-Star’s status (May 28)
Luka Doncic is listed as questionable for Game 4 of the Western Conference finals. His Dallas Mavericks are going for the sweep of the Minnesota TImberwolves at home. The five-time All-Star is likely to play despite being listed as a game-time decision with an ankle and knee injury. The injury is not expected to be serious.
Dereck Lively II will be out for Dallas with a neck injury after suffering a scary fall in Game 3. Maxi Kleber has been out since the first round of the playoffs. He is nearing a return according to The Athletic's Shams Charania. Kleber was upgraded to questionable for Game 4. Olivier Maxence-Prosper is also unavailable for Game 4.
What happened to Luka Doncic?
Luka Doncic has played in every playoff game this season. However, he has been seen wearing a knee brace before games. He also appears to be moving slower at times on the floor when running back on defense.
He is playing through a knee sprain and ankle soreness. Doncic talked about the injuries but never mentioned missing any time.
“I don’t think it’s going to get better before I get some rest. That’s a lot of minutes. Maybe the summer," Doncic said.
The ailments have not stopped Doncic from leading the Mavericks to the precipice of the NBA Finals. They are one game away from Doncic’s first ever finals appearance and the first for Dallas since winning the title in 2011.
It will be interesting to see what kind of effort Doncic gives in the potential closeout game given their 3-0 lead. Minnesota will be desperate to extend the series. A win would give Doncic and the Mavs eight days off before Game 1 of the NBA Finals.
Luka Doncic stats vs Minnesota Timberwolves
Doncic has averaged 32.7 points, 8.7 assists and 7.7 rebounds per game in the series against Minnesota. He is also contributing on the defensive end despite his injuries with 2.7 steals per game. He had five swipes in Game 3.
Doncic has played through sluggish moments to still get his 30 points in every game of the series. Doncic has been efficient despite short cold streaks. He is shooting 46.4%t from the field and 40.6% from 3-point range.
Doncic was 5-of-11 from downtown in Game 3. He hit the same number in Game 2 including the dramatic dagger triple over defensive player of the year Rudy Gobert on the road.
Doncic has also shown off his trademark playmaking in the series. He dished out 13 assists in Game 2 and eight in Game 1.
How to Watch Minnesota Timberwolves vs Dallas Mavericks
Luka Doncic and the Mavericks will go for the sweep in Game 4. The game will air on TNT and can be streamed on MAX.
Game 4 is scheduled to tip off at 8:30 p.m. EDT. It will take place in American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas.