SANTA MONICA, Calif. — Perhaps the best sign that Luka Doncic’s left thigh strain is healing came at the end of the Mavericks’ Friday morning shootaround in preparation for the Los Angeles Lakers.
As the team gathered for their customary half-court shots to finish the pregame workout, Doncic asked center Dwight Powell to pass him the ball. Doncic then caught it off the bounce, flipped it into his right hand and heaved it side-armed, quarterback-style at the basket about three-quarters of the way down the court.
Swish.
Classic Luka — right down to pointing back at assistant coach Marko Milic and equipment manager Kory Jones to signal they owed him some money.
The Mavericks have ruled out Doncic for Friday’s playoff-important showdown against the Los Angeles Lakers, but after shootaround, Doncic said he hopes that contest will be the last he misses with the nagging left thigh strain that has hampered him since just after the All-Star break.
“Hopefully [I’ll play] next game,” Monday against the Grizzlies in Memphis, Doncic said. “Hopefully then, but we’ll see day by day.”
Doncic hasn’t played since leaving late in the third quarter of the Mavericks’ March 8 loss to the New Orleans Pelicans. Though he wasn’t sure how his thigh pain started about a week earlier, he underwent an MRI the following day and has missed four games since.
He progressed to participating in practice Thursday during the Mavericks’ off-day workout and ran through some five-on-five drills. But Doncic didn’t expect the strain would hold him out of Dallas’ playoff push for close to two weeks — if he returns Monday.
“It’s better,” Doncic said after doing some light shooting Friday. “I expected it to be a little bit better than it was, but you know, just slowly getting treatment, getting better.”
The Mavericks are 4-9 without Doncic this season and 4-9 since he returned from a right heel contusion Feb. 11 and played his first game with superstar trade addition Kyrie Irving.
Irving remains questionable to play Friday against the Lakers after missing three consecutive games with right foot soreness, and he and Doncic have emphasized their frustration with missing time to injuries while the team has dropped into play-in tournament position.
“It’s tough to be on the bench, just sitting and watching,” Doncic said, “especially in this kind of situation where we need every win we can get.”
Tim Hardaway Jr., who missed Wednesday’s overtime win in San Antonio with a left calf contusion, will play against the Lakers, and reiterated the superstars’ urgency.
“It’s a huge game,” Hardaway said after shootaround. “It’s a serious game. Every game counts. Ever since the All-Star break, I’ve been saying this the past couple weeks now. Just trying to make sure we take it each game at a time, but make sure we take care of business.”
