Luka Doncic re-injured the ankle that has been bothering him the last month.
Dallas Mavericks star Luka Doncic re-injured his right ankle Saturday against the Milwaukee Bucks, and he provided a worrying yet somewhat comforting update after the game.
Doncic, who played 42 minutes and posted 40 points, 9 rebounds, and 11 assists in a 129-117 loss to Milwaukee, spoke to reporters Saturday and assured them that he was going to be all right.
“It’s the same ankle. It’s okay, I just heard it pop. … I’ve been working almost every day on that ankle, so it’s pretty strong now, so it’s better than — if I did it last year, it was going to be way worse. But this year, almost every day I work on this ankle, so it’s good,” Doncic said.
Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving injury woes continue
Doncic sprained the same ankle in January, which forced him to miss five games last month. Doncic sat out Jan. 5 against Portland, with the Mavericks listing him as having a sore ankle on the injury report. He then played two games before missing three consecutive games after a gritty performance against the Memphis Grizzlies on Jan. 9 in which he visited the locker room twice and was noticeably wincing and grabbing at his leg.
Dallas elevated the injury designation after the Memphis game, listing Doncic out with a right ankle sprain. Doncic returned on Jan. 17 against the Los Angeles Lakers and played six consecutive games before sitting out vs. the Minnesota Timberwolves on Jan. 31, the game before the Milwaukee contest in which he re-aggravated the ankle.
The Mavericks have needed every bit of Luka Magic this season, which has included averaging 34.8 points, 8.6 rebounds, and 9.6 assists per game this season. Dallas has relied even more heavily on Doncic recently due to the extended absences of Kyrie Irving, who has played only 10 of Dallas’ last 28 games because of injury. Mavs center Dwight Powell fell on Irving’s foot during a Dec. 8 victory in Portland, which forced Irving out of the lineup for the next 12 games with what the team called a right heel contusion.
Upon returning, Irving played 10 consecutive games, during which he averaged 28.9 points, 7.0 rebounds, and 5.5 assists, but he has not played since the Mavericks’ loss to the Boston Celtics on Jan. 22. In the Boston matchup, Irving suffered a sprained right thumb, which has kept him out of action for the last six games. Mavs coach Jason Kidd said Saturday, though, that Irving had “two good days of practice” and “hopefully” will be able to play Monday in Philadelphia.
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