Luka Doncic Won't Travel For Rockets Game As Mavs Order MRI on Ankle

DALLAS - Dallas Mavericks star Luka Doncic exited Thursday’s practice early after turning his right ankle, coach Rick Carlisle said, and then during the media-access portion of the workout, found himself in discomfort on the trainer's table, as you see in the Noah Bullard video shot for DFW's NBC5.

Luka Doncic in disbelief, Mavs head coach Rick Carlisle said Luka rolled his ankle at the end of practice. “We hope it’s not serious.” @NBCDFW pic.twitter.com/GH7BUB2Bli
— Noah Bullard (@noah_bullard) January 30, 2020

How severe is the ankle issue? Severe enough that Doncic, at 20 an MVP candidate for the contending Mavs, is not making the Thursday trip to Houston for the nationally-televised game against the rival Rockets.

Doncic will undergo an MRI, probably on Friday. Coach Rick Carlisle Carlisle made the announcement on the injury and declined to offer more detail on its seriousness, though reports suggest this may be similar to an ankle injury sustained by Doncic earlier this season, which resulted in four missed games.

Luka turned his right ankle in practice. pic.twitter.com/8Fw8HdA4VW
— Brad Townsend (@townbrad) January 30, 2020

Teammate J.J. Barea told the media after practice that Doncic “stepped on somebody” and “hopefully it’s not that long” that Doncic is sidelined.

Additionally, another starter, Tim Hardaway Jr. is traveling but is questionable for Friday as he is dealing with lower back tightness for the Mavs, who as of today are, like the Rockets 29-18 as the two Texas teams joust for fifth and sixth in the West.

Episode 54 is here, #MFFL.

- Remembering Kobe
- Mavs' struggles at home
- One final trade deadline preview

🔊: https://t.co/aUziSgxbC1 pic.twitter.com/PWTxVSbJTd
— Mavs Step Back (@StepBackMavs) January 30, 2020

All of this leaves us much to discuss, as we do in the DBcom StepBack Podcast above.