LOS ANGELES — Luka Doncic's injury status remains the key storyline surrounding the Dallas Mavericks heading into Game 5 of their first-round playoff series against the Los Angeles Clippers. He continues to play through a sprained right knee.
Doncic has seen his speed to the rim slow down significantly as the Clippers defense focuses on shrinking the floor and neutralizing pick-and-roll action. Through four games in the series, Doncic averaged 29.0 points, 9.8 rebounds, and 8.5 assists while shooting 38.6 percent from the floor and 26.5 percent from deep.
April 28, 2024. Dallas, Texas, USA.Dallas Mavericks guard Luka Doncic (77) controls the ball as L.A.
Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports
Doncic, who is expected to play in Game 5, is preparing to face the Clippers during the Mavericks' morning shootaround at Crypto.com Arena. He said he was still feeling the effects.
“It’s not good,” Doncic said. “It's gotten a little better, but it's still like this.”
The Slovenian superstar took more shots than usual during his team's shootaround Wednesday morning in an open portion for reporters to view. To be clear, only a limited portion of an NBA team's shootaround is open to reporters.
Doncic said he “probably won't play” if this were a regular-season game, but he wants to help lead the team to a 2-2 series tie with the Clippers.
As Doncic detailed his daily process of preparing for Game 5 with two days off, he explained that he has undergone a significant amount of medical treatment but has maintained much of his normal daily routine.
“It's just treatment,” Doncic said. “I had a lot of treatments. Fitness. But first of all, I took a lot of shots.”
In addition to dealing with a knee sprain, Doncic was noticeably congested with a possible illness during this series. When asked about it, he said he took the medication for “five or six days” but it had no effect.
“I took medication, but nothing worked, so I just got used to it,” Doncic said.
After the Game 4 loss, Doncic emphasized that he is doing his best to overcome the situation, but he also understands that he will be required to perform at a higher level once he gets into the game.
“I'm trying to play a lot of minutes and I'm trying to play hard,” Doncic said. “But sometimes you're not in a perfect situation, so you have to work through it and play better.”
The Mavericks lost Game 4, 116-111, but despite overcoming a 31-point deficit and taking a late lead, Dallas was unable to pull off a victory. Doncic finished with 29 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists, but shot 41.7 percent from the floor and 11.1 percent from long range. He expressed the need for more support for superstar backcourt partner Kyrie Irving, who scored 40 points, all after the first quarter.
“I had to help him more. I feel like I'm letting him down,” Doncic said. he is giving everything he has. He was great for us throughout the series. ”
Doncic echoed similar sentiments during Wednesday's shootaround, answering a question about whether his knee condition affected his shot execution, saying, “It's just missing.”
Regardless of how well Doncic is heading into Game 5, the Mavericks will have to overcome a motivated and cohesive Clippers team that is growing under Paul George and James Harden. , his superstar impact will be needed.
