The Dallas Mavericks and Phoenix Suns squared off on Thursday evening in a nationally televised clash between teams going in opposite directions in recent days. Dallas entered with four losses in the last five games, while Phoenix aimed to extend a four-game winning streak. In addition, there is plenty of history between these two clubs, headlined by the memorable Game 7 blowout win for the Mavericks over the Suns in Dallas just a few months ago. This time around, though, Luka Doncic was forced to the locker room within the four minutes of the game with an apparent ankle injury.
By the time the first quarter concluded, Doncic was ruled out for the evening with a left ankle sprain after a negative X-ray.
Luka Dončić (left ankle sprain) will not return to tonight’s game in Phoenix.
— Mavs PR (@MavsPR) January 27, 2023
Dallas Mavericks star Luka Doncic suffered a left ankle sprain and is out the remainder of this game against Phoenix Suns. X-Ray negative.
— Chris Haynes (@ChrisBHaynes) January 27, 2023
Doncic has dealt with ankle injuries in the past and, in this case, the video shows a clear mechanism when his foot stepped on another player’s and turns over. Hopefully, Doncic can avoid a long-term absence, and ankle injuries can be quite tricky. Still, it is undeniable that even a mid-term absence for Doncic would be problematic for Dallas — and of lesser importance, puts his status as an All-Star starter in jeopardy.
It could be argued that no team in the league is more reliant on a single offensive creator than the Mavericks. Beyond Doncic’s ludicrous counting numbers, Dallas scores 118.3 points per 100 possessions with Doncic on the floor and that number craters to 107.0 per 100 (with a -6.3 net rating) whenever Doncic is on the bench. In his stead, the Mavericks project to lean heavily on players like Spencer Dinwiddie and Tim Hardaway Jr., but everyone in Dallas will be holding their breath until a more detailed diagnosis is available.
