Dallas Mavericks star Luka Doncic He will play In game 2 of NBA Finals against the Boston Celtics on Sunday night despite being downgraded to questionable on the afternoon injury report. Doncic has a chest contusion (listed as a pectoral contusion), a right knee sprain and left ankle pain.
Doncic wasn’t completely healthy at any point during this playoff run, and while that affected his shooting percentages early in the postseason, it didn’t stop him from often being the best player on the floor. Through 18 playoff games this year, he is averaging 28.8 points, 9.7 rebounds and 8.4 assists, ranking seventh in scoring, 10th in rebounding and third in assists among all players.
He has also been available for every game, even on the few occasions where he was previously listed as questionable. That won’t change this time, but it’s never a good sign when your best player needs to downgrade your best player hours before a game – especially when you’re already down 1-0 in the series. The Mavericks were defeated in the first match, which took place on Thursday, as they trailed by as much as 29 points in the first half before losing by 18 points.
Knee and ankle issues have been a long-term problem for Doncic, but the pectoral contusion is a new problem. A social media post from Tomer Azarelli at Mavericks practice on Saturday showed Doncic staggering and clutching his chest, but it’s unclear when the injury originated.
Doncic played 38 minutes in Game 1 and finished with 30 points and 10 rebounds, but he shot 12 of 26 from the field and recorded just one assist — his fewest ever in a game in which he played at least 35 minutes. Although Doncic earned his points, the Celtics made him work hard and He was not allowed to involve his teammates.
If the Mavericks want to get back in this series, they will need Doncic at his best, both as a scorer and a playmaker. The new disease certainly isn’t helping matters.
Game 2 is scheduled to tip off at 8pm ET and is a must-win contest for the Mavericks. In the history of the NBA playoffs, teams that have lost 2-0 in a seven-game series have lost 92.6% of the time, and there have only been five such comebacks in the Finals.
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