By Johnny Askounis/ info@eurohoops.net
A bumpy road for Luka Doncic with the leader of the Dallas Mavericks constantly playing through injuries in the 2024 NBA Playoffs presented by Google Pixel.
Trailing 2-0 in a best-of-seven series for the NBA championship, the Mavs host the Boston Celtics in American Airlines Center on Wednesday. Previewing Game 3 of the NBA Finals presented by YouTube TV after practice on Tuesday, the Slovenian superstar fell short of providing an update on his injuries. “I do not want to give any more details, but I feel good,” he said unconvincingly.
Doncic, 25, has been dealing with a right knee sprain and left ankle soreness. A thoracic contusion was added to the list of injuries, a few hours before Game 2.
Shortly before being selected by the Mavericks with the third overall pick of the 2018 NBA draft, Doncic guided Real Madrid to the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague championship. He combined the season MVP award with the Final Four MVP nod, before moving his talents to the league based in North America and Dallas.
“I would say it is different,” he compared the championship-crowning stage of Europe’s premier club continental competition to the NBA, “Just being 18 and 25 is a big difference. But it is different games. Here, you play first to four. In the EuroLeague, it is just one game. It is way different.”
Six years forward, packing the experience of one postseason run to the Western Conference Finals and two first-round exits, Doncic reached the NBA Finals.