BOSTON— In an unexpected move, hours before tipoff, the Dallas Mavericks has officially downgraded Luka Doncic to doubtful for Game 2 of the NBA Finals.
The reasons given were “Thoracic contusion, right knee sprain and left ankle pain.” While Doncic battled ankle and knee issues for most of the playoffs, the thoracic contusion – a bruise on the chest wall – is new.
It would be shocking if Doncic didn’t play, or at least try to play, on Sunday, and coach Jason Kidd will address the issue before the game. Doncic trained with the team on Saturday, partly in front of the media, and he showed no obvious signs of injury, nor did he say anything to indicate he was feeling more confused than usual. This isn’t a playmaking skill on the Mavericks’ part, it’s no secret Doncic is playing with knee and ankle issues, but it could be an acknowledgment that the pain is piling up.
It’s bad news for Dallas if Doncic can’t play. The Mavs went 4-8 in the games he missed this season and their offensive rating dropped 8.5 points per 100 possessions when he was not on the court.
The Mavericks are already down 0-1 against a deep and impressive Celtics team and need a better performance in Game 2, and that has to start with Doncic and Kyrie Irving beat their guys and get the Boston defense into rotation. If Doncic isn’t right and can’t do that, things will be much more difficult for Dallas in the future.
