Luka Doncic injury update: Mavericks star 'improved' as neck strain looms over pivotal Game 5, per report

Doncic appeared to be in a lot of pain during Game 4, and his performance reflected it

If the Dallas Mavericks are going to reverse the tide of their first-round series vs. the Clippers, they're obviously going to need Luka Doncic, who was clearly laboring through a neck strain in Dallas' Game 4 loss, as close to full strength as possible. 

Good news on that front: Doncic's condition is "improved" as of Monday, per ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, and with Game 5 slated for Wednesday, there is time for even more progress to be made. 

After winning the first two games, Dallas had a 19-point lead in the first quarter of Game 3 and looked in complete control of the series. Since then, the Clippers have taken over, coming back to win Game 3 before taking Game 4 on Sunday behind a pair of monster performances from Kawhi Leonard and a defense that has locked into championship mode. 

Doncic had his worst game of the series in Game 4, posting 19 points on 9-of-24 shooting, including 1-of-7 from beyond the arc. He was also 0-for-5 from the free-throw line, where he has been shockingly bad (13-for-32) in this series. At times in Game 4, Doncic appeared in pain even trying to hold his head up. 

There's no mystery to this for Dallas: Doncic -- who is averaging 33 points, eight assists and eight rebounds for the series -- being on top of his game is their only hope of beating a Clippers team that has clicked into top gear over the last two games. And there's no time to waste. In a 2-2 series, the winner of Game 5 goes on to win the series over 80 percent of the time.