The Dallas Mavericks can let out a huge sigh of relief after an MRI on star guard Luka Doncic's left thigh came back clean on Thursday, per ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowki. Doncic exited Dallas' 113-106 loss to the New Orleans Pelicans on Wednesday night in the third quarter with a left thigh strain. He played 28 minutes in the game before exiting and tallied 15 points, eight assists and three rebounds. When asked how the thigh felt after the game, Doncic replied "not good."
There's no timetable for Doncic's return, but Wojnarowski reported that he will return when the discomfort in his thigh subsides.
The strain has been a lingering issue, and Doncic is unsure of the cause.
"I think it was the second game after the All-Star break," Doncic replied when asked when the injury initially occurred, via ESPN. "Something like that... This one, I didn't get hit. So this is kind of weird for me. I don't really know what it is."
Mavericks coach Jason Kidd could see that Doncic wasn't looking like his usual self out on the floor, but he was optimistic about his star guard's outlook.
"Yeah, I think we all can see he is not moving well," Kidd said. "Shooting, defense, it's affecting everything. He's trying to fight through it and help his teammates, but he had to leave there. Hopefully, it's not something serious. We have a couple of days here before we play Memphis, so hopefully, he's back soon."
The Mavericks don't play again until Saturday when they square off against the Grizzlies, so Doncic will have a few days to rest regardless. However, given how vital Doncic is to everything Dallas does on offense, it wouldn't be surprising if he misses that game. The Mavericks currently sit eighth in a crowded Western Conference, and with only 15 games left every win is important to determine seeding. However, the long-term health of Doncic is far more important not just for his career but for the organization. The addition of Kyrie Irving at the trade deadline should at least keep the Mavericks competitive if Doncic misses a game or two, but the Mavericks can't afford to have their superstar guard sidelined for too long as it tries to avoid the play-in round in preparation for the postseason.
