What did Luka Doncic say about his recent quad injury? Exploring the injury’s impact on Dallas Mavericks’ playoff hopes
Dallas Mavericks superstar guard Luka Doncic was forced to exit Wednesday night’s game versus New Orleans early due to a strained left thigh. Doncic finished the night with 15 points, three rebounds, eight assists and one steal on just 28.6% shooting in 28 minutes. The Mavs made a late push without Doncic to cut the Pelicans’ lead to single digits. However, they ultimately fell 113-106.
Following the game, Luka Doncic said his quad injury was not good and that he would undergo an MRI on Thursday. He also explained that the injury is something he has been dealing with since Feb. 26 against the LA Lakers. Doncic said he had been playing through the pain since then, but it became too unbearable on Wednesday night:
“It’s not good,” Doncic said.
“It’s been going on for a week, maybe more. Just can’t really push how I like. Just getting my rhythm, running, I can feel it. But mostly probably in the jump shots because they’ve been going bad, so pushing off is really hard for me."
Mavericks' Luka Doncic says his quad injury is "not good" and that he will get an MRI on it tomorrow.
Doncic says it's been challenging to push off of the leg and that he's felt it since the second game after the NBA All-Star Break. https://t.co/KoMOkIk8Kd
Luka playing through the pain. https://t.co/55H7WYNKNF
The injury comes at a tough time for the Mavericks (34-33, eighth in the West) as they are still fighting to secure a playoff berth. Only three games separate the fifth-place through 13th-place teams in the Western Conference. Meanwhile, Dallas only has 15 games remaining this season. If Doncic is forced to miss extended time, it could mark a death blow to the Mavs’ playoff hopes.
How have the Mavericks fared without Luka Doncic this season?
As for how the Mavericks have fared without Luka Doncic this season, they have struggled mightily. The team has gone just 3-7 in his absence. This comes as they lack reliable depth at the guard spots. However, most of those games came before the team traded for star point guard Kyrie Irving. The team is 2-0 without Doncic when Irving suits up.
Overall, Dallas is just 5-6 with Irving, though, so it will likely still be challenging for the team to stay afloat if Doncic misses time.
Luckily for the Mavericks, they have a few days off before their next game. Mavs coach Jason Kidd expressed optimism that Doncic could still be available for the team’s next game.
“We all can see he’s not moving well,” Kidd said.
“Shooting, defense, it’s affecting everything. He’s trying to fight through it and help his teammates, but he had to leave there, so hopefully it’s not something serious. We have a couple of days here before we play Memphis, so hopefully he’s back soon."
The Mavs will next play on Saturday against Memphis (38-26, third in the West). It remains to be seen if Doncic will be available by then.
Also read: When will Ja Morant return to playing? Latest update by Adrian Wojnarowski reveals extended time off from Grizzlies