Bad news in Dallas which, if confirmed, could be the worst possible. In the list of players available for this morning’s game, third in the series against the Los Angeles Cippers, Luka Doncic appears as “questionable”. That is to say, their presence on the track is doubtful. The reason, the cervical distension suffered during the last confrontation between the two franchises, which ended with the Angels winning and matching 2-1 in the series. In front of the press, Mavericks coach Rick Carlisle was optimistic, although he didn’t want to take anything for granted. “Questionable, generally speaking, and from what I’ve seen this year on other teams and ours, that means he’s more likely to play than the other way around. I think he will probably be there, and I hope he is doing better, ”he said. To which he added: “But we’ll see how he feels.
Before the game, therefore, all eyes will be on the Slovenian, who has been the most determining factor of the series. He averages 38 points, 8.7 rebounds, 9 assists and, until the last game, he had been an indecipherable force for Tyronn Luee, who tried everything and nothing worked. Dallas, under Doncic’s leadership, is superior in virtually every aspect, with implausible outside success and a core support for the star who, except in the last game, had been unbeatable. Luka, in his particular success, is intractable of all ranges (48.1% in field goal and 45.9% in triple), less than the free throw line, with a poor 48.1%. Surely, his only subject hanging in the tie, where he has done everything and very well, and where he hopes to continue to do so. After Friday’s match, he himself was responsible for appealing for optimism: “It’s strange. A massage, some ice cream and hopefully enough, ”he said. During the match, he started to feel pain around his neck, which then spread to his left arm.
Beyond the pain generated by the physical problem, Friday’s meeting was also the first in which Doncic showed signs of fatigue and fatigue, He averaged 34.3 minutes in the regular season and is currently 39.1 minutes in the series. In the loss, on top of that, with extra effort at the worst time: theirs were 44 points and only 40 among the team’s next three scorers, Jalen Brunson (14), Maxi Kleber (14) and Tim Hardaway Jr. (12), that he had been a luxury squire in the other two wins, with 21 and 28 points. Now available or not, but tired and sore, Luka will need it more than ever. Also to Kristaps Porzingis, who did not leave bad records in the first duels, but who came out strongly marked in the last, in which he managed only 9 points and 3 rebounds.
In the midst of it all, there are also the ghosts, the ones that first flew over the heads of Kawhi, George and the like and could now make an appearance among the Texans. And it is that, in the confrontation of the past playoffs, the physical problems of Luka Doncic also notably cut the wings of a heroism which, then, seemed even more improbable than today. With a 2-0 draw, the Mavs reached the equalizer with a lame Doncic, with a sprained left ankle, but who ended up playing all games of the series and with impressive averages: 31 points, 9, 8 rebounds and 8, 7 assists. Now the story has the opposite meaning, but a common denominator. Dallas, with its franchise player far from the physical optimum, will have to protect an advantage which was 2-0 and which, now, is already 2-1, with the Clippers who go further and who believe in the return. After losing in the second round, Lue assured that the situation was the same as at the start of the series (“winning four games”) and Paul George did not hesitate to say that “they are not worried”. In the room, if the neck allows it, Luka will try to ridicule them.
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