The Dallas Mavericks and Minnesota Timberwolves will go head-to-head in Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals on Wednesday night. Luka Doncic is among the Mavericks players listed on the injury report, however.
It should be remembered that Doncic has been listed on the injury report multiple times in the 2024 NBA Playoffs. Yet, the Mavericks star has not missed a game this postseason. And it goes without saying, but Dallas will need Doncic on the floor against Minnesota.
Anthony Edwards and the Timberwolves are playing a confident brand of basketball. The same can be said for the Mavericks, though. Kyrie Irving has continued to display crucial leadership, while players such as PJ Washington, Dereck Lively II, and Derrick Jones Jr. have stepped up in a pivotal manner.
Game 1 projects to be an exciting contest between two teams that are hungry for an NBA Finals appearance. So is Luka Doncic playing in Game 1 tonight vs. the Timberwolves?
Again, Luka has continued to play despite his injury concerns. He is a tough player who is still able to find success. But Doncic endured some ups and downs against the Oklahoma City Thunder in the Western Conference Semifinals.
Doncic averaged 24.7 points, 10.5 rebounds, and 8.7 assists per game during the Mavericks-Thunder series. Luka shot 44.7 percent from the field and over 39 percent from beyond the arc. However, he struggled mightily from the field in some games, while finding consistency with his shot in others
Speaking of consistency, the Mavs would love for Doncic to display more of it throughout the entire Timberwolves series. That is easier said than done given the fact that defenses tend to focus on containing Luka. The Thunder also featured a strong defense, and the Timberwolves happened to have one of the best defenses in the entire NBA.
Nothing is going to come easy for Luka Doncic and the Mavericks during the Western Conference Finals. Doncic has experience in the Western Conference Finals, having reached the series in 2022. After practice on Tuesday, Mavs head coach Jason Kidd explained how Doncic has changed since that series.
“He was probably on the cusp of being one of the best players in the world then, but now he’s one of the best players in the world,” Kidd said of Doncic. “He’s older… He’s seen every defense, double-teams. Being able to use his experience here, again, the experience going through the last couple years… I think he’s different in that way. He’s worked on his game and he’s gotten better.”
“He was probably on the cusp of being one of the best players in the world then, but now he’s one of the best players in the world.”
For now, when it comes to the question of if Luka Doncic is playing tonight in Game 1 vs. the Timberwolves, the answer is probably.
