Luka Doncic Powering Through Pain During Dallas Mavs Win Streak: 'Everything Hurts'
DALLAS — Without reigning NBA All-Star starter Kyrie Irving in the lineup, Luka Doncic led the Dallas Mavericks to an impressive 127-125 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers on Tuesday night. The team swept a back-to-back that began with a road win against the Memphis Grizzlies the night prior.
Doncic finished with 33 points, six rebounds, and 17 assists despite being the constant focus of the Lakers' double teams. Perhaps the most significant challenge he faced was entering the matchup listed as questionable on the injury report with a back injury while playing on limited sleep due to the travel to return to Dallas from Memphis.
"I don't know how I played," Doncic said after Tuesday's win. "I slept very little today, and everything hurts. I am getting older. But we got two back-to-back wins, which is amazing, especially against a team like the Lakers. So, I am really proud of these guys."
The back injury Doncic suffered resulted from a hard fall he took after being checked to the ground by Grizzlies forward David Roddy on Monday night. The Slovenian superstar was impacted by the sequence, holding his back while grimacing after getting up from the floor.
"Now it's hurting like a... I'm not going to say it, but it's hurting a lot," Doncic said after Monday's game. "My knees are swollen like... I gotta get ready for tomorrow."
Dallas Mavericks superstar Luka Doncic shooting over Los Angeles Lakers' LeBron James.
Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports
The physical toll Doncic is taking nightly has intensified amid a long list of recent injuries, even before Irving went down with a right heel contusion. Since returning after being sidelined due to the birth of his daughter, Doncic has played over 40 minutes in four of his last five games, averaging 41.3 minutes per game.
The hits Doncic takes within that high volume of minutes shouldn't be overlooked. He's often getting full-court pressed, face-guarded off-the-ball, top-locked, and seeing a significant amount of double teams throughout games, which has only increased with teams being able to hone in on him without Irving.
"The thing is for him to learn how to rest on offense when he gets double-teamed, and that's what he's doing," Mavs coach Jason Kidd said. "He's getting double-teamed at the top of the floor, and he's trusting that once he does that, it's advantage basketball."
Early against the Lakers, Doncic had to get his ankle wrapped after slowly getting up and limping to the sideline. Later, he dealt with a bloodied lip after getting elbowed in the face by Anthony Davis. Those are just microcosms of what he's overcome throughout the season while setting the tone.
Doncic has averaged 32.0 points, 8.9 assists, and 8.2 rebounds in 22 games, positioning himself as a strong candidate for the MVP award or at least his fifth consecutive All-NBA First-Team nod. He remains the centerpiece of a Mavs squad that has managed to go 15-8 through 23 games, ranking third in the Western Conference.
