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Luka Doncic said he felt “great” from a physical standpoint after the Dallas Mavericks’ Game 4 defeat. Doncic, however, has been dealing with injuries throughout the Mavs’ current playoff series with the Oklahoma City Thunder. And although he looked like he was moving better in Game 4 as compared to other games in the series, it is clear Doncic is not 100 percent.
Doncic has not performed up to his expectations as a result. In Game 4, he finished with 18 points on underwhelming 6-20 shooting from the field and 2-9 shooting from beyond the arc. He still recorded a triple-double, but the Mavs need a more efficient Luka Doncic.
He dealt with criticism from sports pundits following his Game 4 performance. When you are one of the best basketball players in the world, you are going to receive backlash when you underperform in big moments. It is the unfortunate truth. Of course, everyone knows that Luka is a great player and his injuries are clearly playing a role in his struggles.
Nevertheless, sports pundits are going to continue to share their opinions on the Mavericks star. Doncic does not care, though. He is focused on playing the game of basketball and trying to recapture his rhythm on the floor.
So amid the injury concerns, is Luka Doncic playing in Game 5 vs. the Thunder?
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Luka Doncic’s injury status for Game 5 vs. Thunder
Luka is listed as probable on the NBA injury report as he battles a right knee sprain and left ankle soreness.
Doncic is averaging 22 points per game against the Thunder in the playoffs so far. He’s been inefficient with his shot for the most part throughout the series. The good news is that Luka is contributing in other facets of the game.
Doncic is also averaging 10.8 rebounds and 7.8 assists per outing against the Thunder. Kyrie Irving and Luka have done an impressive job of getting teammates involved.
With that being said, turnovers were a concern for Doncic in Game 4. He ultimately recorded seven turnovers and Doncic was often seen trying to simply do too much on his passes.
Perhaps Doncic was trying to make up for his scoring struggles. Either way, the Mavericks will continue to trust him. After all, we are talking about a superstar who finished third in NBA MVP voting.
At the end of the day, Doncic is going to be held to extremely high standards as a result. If Doncic’s injury concerns continue to negatively impact his performance, the Mavericks should run the offense through Irving. Kyrie took just 11 total shots in Game 4. Additionally, he finished the game with only two three-point attempts.
Irving is more than capable of having a huge offensive game on any night. The Thunder are focused on containing Doncic and Irving. Still, Kyrie can find ways to score.
Perhaps Doncic will bounce back in Game 5, however. For now, when it comes to the question of if Luka Doncic is playing tonight, the answer is probably.
More must-reads:
- Why Timberwolves players skipped TNT interview after Game 4
- Cavaliers to interview Knicks, Heat assistants for HC opening
- The 'Most three-pointers made in the playoffs' quiz
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