- Mavs superstar Luka Doncic has been ruled out for Thursday’s nationally televised matchup against the Thunder
OKLAHOMA CITY—The Dallas Mavericks will play without Luka Doncic in Thursday night’s matchup against the Oklahoma City Thunder. On Wednesday, he began dealing with left hamstring soreness during the Mavs’ 109-99 victory over the Golden State Warriors.
Doncic did not travel with the Mavs to Oklahoma City and will be ruled out for the matchup against the Thunder.
In 30 minutes, Doncic totaled 21 points, nine assists, and three rebounds against the Warriors. While he didn’t appear in the game at all during the fourth quarter, he went to the locker room midway through the period. The team later announced he was ruled out for the rest of the game.
“[Doncic] gave me the signal that his [hamstring[ was tight, so we took him out,” Mavs coach Jason Kidd said after the game.
Despite Doncic being sidelined, the Mavs closed the fourth quarter against the Warriors with Kyrie Irving guiding the team. Irving often held a double-figure advantage and led by as many as 18 points. Irving totaled 23 points, 10 assists, and eight rebounds on the night. Daniel Gafford substantially performed by adding 10 points, seven blocks, and six boards.
When Kidd addressed the media, it still wasn’t decided if Doncic would travel to Oklahoma City, but he ultimately did not make the trip. Kidd described the situation as “fluid,” with the team discussing it while he was at the podium.
“I’ll have a better answer tomorrow. We’ll see. This is a fluid thing,” Kidd said. “This is being talked about now. We’ll find out in a couple of minutes if he’s going or not.”.
The Mavs enter Thursday’s game on a four-game winning streak but will be tested against the Thunder, who are coming off a 121-111 loss against the Indiana Pacers with multiple days of rest. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led with 30 pints, 10 rebounds, and five assists. Chet Holmgren added 15 points, 13 rebounds and two blocks.
