Luka Doncic reflects on comeback game after injury & guiding Mavericks to win over Trail Blazers: "Happy to be out there"
Luka Doncic and the Dallas Mavericks took on the Portland Trail Blazers on Sunday night. It was Doncic's first game back since a right wrist sprain when the Mavericks faced the New Orleans Pelicans on November 19. Luka "Magic" was sidelined for five games.
Doncic's return on Sunday was very timely too. Kyrie Irving and four other key Mavericks players were missing from the rotation due to injuries. With Doncic back in the lineup, his presence compensated for Dallas' lack of fire power.
Doncic scored 36 points to lead the Dallas Mavericks to victory. During the postgame press conference, Doncic opened up about how he felt being back in the lineup.
"Just happy, man," Doncic said. "That's what I love to do. I'm just happy to be out there playing with joy. Obviously, happy that we got a win. I felt like the [Portland Trail Blazers] were hitting every shot. But we got it in the end. Just really happy to be back."
Mavericks vs Trail Blazers recap: Luka Doncic explodes for 36 points in comeback game
The Dallas Mavericks took on the Portland Trail Blazers on Sunday night. There was a lot of concern in the Mavericks considering how Kyrie Irving and four other key role players weren't available to play.
Fortunately for the Mavs, Luka Doncic made his return after missing five games due to a right wrist sprain. To add the cherry on top, it was clear he didn't miss a step as he carried his team to victory.
In his comeback game, Doncic had a huge double-double outing. Luka "Magic" added 36 points, 13 assists, seven rebounds and three steals. This resulted in a 137-131 finish in Portland, favoring Dallas.
While Doncic was undeniably Dallas' hero, the majority of the Mavericks crew stepped up to the occasion to help their Slovenian leader. Quentin Grimes came up huge for the Mavs as he added 28 points, five rebounds, five steals and three assists. Spencer Dinwiddie also played a prominent role putting up 20 points, five assists and two steals.
Three other Mavericks players were in double figures on Sunday. These were namely Daniel Gafford (19 points), PJ Washington (14 points) and Jaden Hardy (13 points).
Dallas' victory over Portland extends their winning streak to four consecutive wins. This also improved their record to 13-8 which made them overtake the LA Lakers for fifth place in the Western Conference.