Things have not been going well for the Dallas Mavericks the last few weeks. They have lost seven out of their last 10 games and have gone 3-4 since the NBA All-Star break. The schedule certainly hasn’t been easy, but the Mavericks have picked a bad time to go on a skid.
With how congested the Western Conference is, an extended stretch of losing will send you tumbling down the standings. Dallas now finds itself in 8th place in the conference, a half-game behind the sixth-place LA Clippers and only 2.5 games ahead of the trio tied for 11th.
Unfortunately for the Mavericks, things aren’t going to get any easier. There is a chance that they will be forced to play without All-Star Luka Doncic, who is dealing with a quad injury.
Doncic was forced out of the team’s game against the New Orleans Pelicans on Wednesday night because of the injury.
NBA NEWS & RUMORS: Luka Doncic & Dallas Mavs Updates
During his post-game press conference, he revealed that his quad injury is not good and is set to undergo an MRI today. He has been dealing with the injury since the second game after the All-Star break and attempting to play through it, but has struggled to push off the leg.
The injury felt fine in the early going, but as things progressed, the pain got worse and worse. Wednesday night’s game against the Pelicans was the second night of a back-to-back set, so that could have possibly played a part. Doncic hadn’t taken part in both games of a back-to-back since December.
The next time that the Mavericks take the court is Saturday against the Memphis Grizzlies. Hopefully, the few days off between games will help him feel better. But, the Mavericks have to exhibit some caution.
NBA NEWS & RUMORS: Luka Doncic & Dallas Mavs Updates
If the Dallas Mavericks want any chance of contending for a title, they need Doncic as healthy as possible. But, it is a double-edged sword, as the team needs to qualify for the playoffs in the first place. Having Doncic on the court certainly improves the odds of that happening, which leads to a delicate balancing act needing to be done by head coach Jason Kidd.
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