The Dallas Mavericks faced off against their Western Conference rivals, the Phoenix Suns, on Thursday night.
Dallas was able to pull off a close win thanks to the hard work of Spencer Dinwiddie (36 points), Dorian Finney-Smith (18 points), and Dwight Powell (15 points and 12 rebounds).
Those are impressive numbers, especially when you consider they were doing it all without Luka Doncic.
An early exit for Luka tonight due to a left ankle sprain. 🤕 pic.twitter.com/JhvGH9lOmw
— theScore Bet (@theScoreBet) January 27, 2023
Doncic, who was just named as an All-Star starter hours before, exited the game after only three minutes when he landed roughly on his left foot.
He was then ruled out for the rest of the game and did not return from the locker room.
Now the Mavericks and their legion of loyal fans are anxiously awaiting an update on the Slovenian superstar.
It was great to see Dinwiddie and others step up and lead their team to the W but there is no doubt that the Mavericks will be in a rough spot without Doncic.
If he is gone for a long period of time, the team could collapse.
For the season, Doncic has been averaging 33 points, 8.9 rebounds, and 8.4 assists, which are MVP numbers and some of the best of his career.
Even with Doncic’s excellent output, the team is sixth in the West and has had a slew of bad games along with the good.
If Doncic needs time to rehabilitate then head coach Jason Kidd and his squad will have their work cut out for them.
How do you replace the power of someone like Doncic, who is easily one of the best players in the league?
Doncic is young and healthier than ever so he might be able to bounce back quickly from this injury.
That’s what the Mavericks are hoping for because the alternative is their worst nightmare.
NEXT: The Mavericks Have Suddenly Fallen Far
