Injured star Luka Doncic will accompany the Dallas Mavericks on their upcoming road trip and could return to action as soon as Saturday in Salt Lake City against the Utah Jazz.
After missing the past five games due to a wrist injury, Doncic returned to practice with his teammates on Friday. It remains uncertain whether he will play against Utah or on Sunday in Portland, but he will be traveling with the team.
Unlike last season, when the Mavericks won just four of 12 games in Doncic’s absence, Dallas has performed well without their top player since he was injured on November 19 against New Orleans. The Mavericks have gone 4-1 in that stretch, including a 129-119 win in Atlanta on Monday and a 129-114 victory over the New York Knicks on Wednesday.
Remarkably, Dallas had four players score at least 20 points in each of those wins, setting a team record. Against the Knicks, Naji Marshall scored 24 points, Kyrie Irving had 23, while Quentin Grimes and Spencer Dinwiddie each added 21.
Marshall has been particularly effective in Doncic’s absence, averaging 23 points on 63.3 percent shooting and hitting half of his three-point attempts over the past four games.
Dallas’ depth has been crucial to their 11-8 record. They’ve had at least six players reach double figures in each of their last six games. In the Mavericks’ 123-120 win over Denver on November 22, seven players scored in double figures.
The Jazz, on the other hand, have struggled to find similar success on the scoreboard, but their players are gaining valuable experience and playing time due to various injuries.
In Wednesday’s 122-103 home loss to the Nuggets, Utah was without Lauri Markkanen (personal reasons), John Collins (left knee contusion), Jordan Clarkson (left plantar fasciitis), and Kyle Filipowski (lower leg inflammation).
Collin Sexton led Utah with 26 points, Keyonte George added 23 points, Walker Kessler totaled 16 points and 12 rebounds, and Brice Sensabaugh contributed 13 points off the bench.
Nikola Jokic scored 21 of his 30 points in the first half, helping the Nuggets turn a 12-point deficit into a 10-point lead en route to the blowout win.
