Mavs' Luka Dončić Out vs. Jalen Brunson, Knicks with Ankle Injury
Dallas Mavericks superstar guard Luka Dončić will miss Thursday's game against the New York Knicks due to an ankle injury, according to NBA insider Marc Stein.
Dončić briefly went back to the locker room to have his ankle examined during Dallas' game against the Memphis Grizzlies on Tuesday before returning to the contest. He played 36 minutes and scored 31 points on 9-of-21 shooting in the 120-103 loss, which ended the Mavs' three-game win streak.
Dončić most recently missed his team's Jan. 5 game against the Portland Trail Blazers with right ankle swelling. He had popped up on the injury report earlier in the day before being ruled out. Head coach Jason Kidd expressed hope that Dončić would just be "day-to-day."
Dončić has averaged 33.6 points, 8.1 rebounds and 9.1 assists this season. He has also shot 48.5 percent from the field and 38.0 percent from three.
Obviously, the Mavs need a healthy Dončić to be at their best. He's been available for most of a successful season, which has seen the team go 22-16 after missing the playoffs entirely last year. Dončić has also missed two games this year, both due to a quad injury on Dec. 22 and 28.
Without Dončić, the onus falls on Kyrie Irving to run the offense. More contributions are to be expected from the likes of Tim Hardaway Jr. and Jaden Hardy as well.
