Dallas Mavericks’ Luka Doncic returns from injury, shows why he’s a starting All-Star
Luka Doncic returned to the Dallas Mavericks’ lineup Wednesday night.
And for a night, at least, the Mavs were reminded how good they can be with their second-year guard on the floor.
Doncic had a team-high 33 points, 12 rebounds, and eight assist in the 130-111 win over the Sacramento Kings. He even included a couple of no-look passes and a step-back 3-pointer in 31 minutes.
Doncic, who missed the previous seven games with a right ankle sprain, will start in the NBA All-Star Game on Sunday. He’s the youngest player (he turns 21 on Feb. 28) to start the game since LeBron James in 2005. The Mavs went 3-4 in his absence, including losses in three of their previous four games.
Dallas doesn’t play again until after the All-Star break against the Magic in Orlando on Feb. 21.
Doncic will also play in Friday night’s Rising Stars game. Doncic played in the game a year ago as a rookie.
“You always miss basketball. It was great to be back. Great win before the All-Star break,” Doncic said. “It’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for me. I’m really excited.”
Doncic and the Mavs’ organization were keen on making sure he was available to participate in the event. It’s a high honor, of course, and obviously great publicity for the franchise. Doncic’s injured ankle, which happened during practice, put that in question if he did not heal expediently.
“When you get introduced as a starter in the All-Star game, that’s a pretty big deal,” Mavs coach Rick Carlisle said. “That will be a moment I’m sure that he will remember forever. You do it once, the goal will be to duplicate it and continue to get back there. The hope is that from a health standpoint, he’s going to be feeling good.”
The Mavs slightly limited his minutes in his first game back and he’ll have a day to let any soreness dissipate before playing what is likely to be limited minutes Friday. He was 10 of 18 from the field, including 3 of 7 from the 3-point arc. Kristaps Porzingis finished with 27 points, 13 rebounds, five assists and three blocks. He was 11 of 16 from the field, including 2 of 5 from the arc.
“He’s feeling good right now, which is great,” Carlisle said before the game. “There are no major restrictions. But we’ll be watching what’s going on out there. If he needs a couple of rests during each half, then we’ll do that. It’s an exciting time for him.”
This story was originally published February 12, 2020 at 8:57 PM.
