On Wednesday, the Dallas Mavericks beat the Golden State Warriors 109-99, continuing their 4-game winning streak. This win was crucial for the team, improving their record and chances to make the playoffs. But the winning streak doesn’t matter when you’re out of your key player.
Luka Doncic, the leading contender for the most valuable player this season, left the arena during the fourth quarter and didn’t return to end the game, which ended his 20-point triple-double streak at 7 games.
Luka Doncic leaves the Warriors game early
The Mavericks managed to finish the game without Luka Doncic, but his sudden injury may be disastrous for the team. Luka gave a signal to the Mavs head coach, Jason Kidd, about the discomfort he’s facing with his hamstring. A few moments after that, Doncic was ruled out of the game due to the injury.
When the head coach was asked about the gravity of the injury, he had no answer at that moment, but he made sure to mention that Luka Doncic wouldn’t be joining the Mavs trip to face the Oklahoma City Thunder.
The Mavericks are currently 10 games above .500 sitting at the 8th seed of the Western Conference. Losing Luka for some time may be lethal for the team, as the competitiveness we’re seeing in the West is thrilling.
Luka Doncic’s triple-double streak ends
Doncic is putting up the performance of a lifetime, as he’s recording a 20-point triple-double on a regular basis and ended up making a triple-double streak of 7 games. Despite the injury, the star player helped the team by scoring 21 points, 9 assists, and 3 rebounds.
Meanwhile, Kyrie Irving delivered an outstanding performance, recording a double-double with 23 points, 10 assists, and 8 rebounds. However, despite his individual brilliance, several shortcomings were evident in the game, such as struggles with scoring efficiency and a total of 31 turnovers committed by both teams combined.
The Mavericks are in a tight race to surpass the Phoenix Suns, who currently hold the 6th spot in the standings. Despite being only half a game behind the Suns, the absence of Luka for several games could jeopardize the Mavericks’ chances of securing a clear playoff position, potentially relegating them to a play-in tournament spot.
With the playoffs looming after just 16 games, an injury to a key player like Luka could significantly diminish their prospects of competing against other teams in the playoffs.
