Mavs BREAKING: Injured Luka Doncic to Locker Room; Spencer Dinwiddie to Step Up in Game 6 vs. Suns?
After being traded from the Washington Wizards to the Dallas Mavericks at this year's trade deadline, Spencer Dinwiddie made general manager Nico Harrison look like a very smart guy, as he averaged 15.8 points, 3.1 rebounds and 3.9 assists in 23 regular-season games. He shot 49.8 percent from the field during that stretch, including 40.4 percent from deep.
And for at least a moment to start the second quarter, it looked like he might have to do even more, as Luka Doncic exited the floor with a reported leg injury.
Doncic did return to the locker room shortly after the start of the second period (with Dallas up after one), hopefully to return; he's riding a stationary bike, trying to work out what might be a thigh problem.
UPDATE: Doncic is back on the floor midway through the second.
But the importance of Dinwiddle remains ...
In the postseason, though, Dinwiddie's impact has shriveled, especially in the Mavs' Western Conference semifinals series against the Phoenix Suns. Through 11 playoff games, Dinwiddie is averaging 11.5 points, 3.0 rebounds and 3.7 assists while shooting just 33.9 percent from the field, including 31.4 percent from deep.
Glenn James/NBAE via Getty Images
Glenn James/NBAE via Getty Images
Glenn James/NBAE via Getty Images
In five games against the Suns, specifically, that overall shooting percentage has dropped to 28.9 percent, although his 3-point percentage has risen to 35.3 percent. His minutes have consistently decreased with each passing game due to his shooting. After playing 30 minutes in Game 1, Dinwiddie didn't crack the 20-minute mark in Games 4 and 5.
Despite the poor shooting numbers from Dinwidde, the Mavs have still been able to have a competitive series with the league-best Suns, as they trail 3-2 and face elimination in Game 6 on Thursday night. Although it might be a lost cause to think Dinwiddie will magically morph back into his end-of-the-regular-season form again after 11 playoff games, now would be as good of a time as ever for him to become a hero... for at least one game.
Glenn James/NBAE via Getty Images
Glenn James/NBAE via Getty Images
Garrett Ellwood/NBAE via Getty Images
Including the regular season and playoffs, Dinwiddie has scored 18+ points 11 times. His best postseason performance so far game in the close-out Game 6 against the Utah Jazz on the road, as he put up 19 points off the bench and shot 7-12 from the field, including 4-7 from deep. In what ended up being a two-point win for Dallas, Dinwiddie was a +12 in his 31 minutes of action.
Dinwiddie has shown throughout the year that he has the ability to step up in the biggest moments when he's needed the most – when he has no other choice but to do so. Perhaps that will be the case for him in Game 6 against the Suns, as Dinwiddie, along with Luka Doncic, Jalen Brunson and the rest of the crew look to shake off an embarrassing Game 5 performance in order to force a winner-take-all Game 7 in Phoenix on Sunday.
