No 8th triple-double in a row for Luka Doncic. Last night, the Mavericks disposed of the Warriors rather easily, and the Slovenian had to be content with 21 points, 9 assists and 3 rebounds. Far from his standards in March since he had just compiled several triple-doubles in a row with at least 35 points. If Doncic's series stopped, it's because physically, he is not at his best.
The Dallas leader suffers from hamstrings in his left thigh, and in the 4th quarter, his return to play lasted only 22 seconds. There is little chance that we will see him tonight against OKC while the Mavericks are back-to-back. “We will have a better answer tomorrow… The subject is ongoing, and we need to discuss it” responded Jason Kidd.
Manage the calendar well
As the Mavericks signed a 4th victory in a row, they find themselves on the heels of the Suns and the Kings in the race for 6th place. But with one month remaining in the regular season, it would be extremely risky to play Doncic against the Thunder tonight if he felt a thigh injury.
Perhaps it would even be better to spare it for the following match, against the Nuggets, since then the schedule will be much more favorable with a trip to San Antonio then a double opposition against the Jazz. Then, there will be two meetings in Sacramento, undoubtedly decisive for the end of the season. But Jason Kidd doesn't want to look that far ahead, and he prefers to wait before talking about “tie-breakers”.
“We don’t have time to talk about this. It's still a little early. Let’s focus on our game plan, and continue to build on our trust and understanding” he concludes.
