Luka Doncic has been the key to the Dallas Mavericks' success over the past couple of seasons. Doncic is proving himself to be a generational talent and without him in the lineup, the Mavericks simply don't have an answer for some of the best teams in the league. Last night, Doncic was playing injured against the Los Angeles Clippers, as he was dealing with some nerve problems in his neck. With his injury hampering his play, Doncic, and the Mavs were blown out by the Clippers, who evened their series at 2-2.
Following the game, Doncic was extremely frustrated with what went down, and he kept things honest with the media. After being asked about his injury, Doncic dismissed the severity of it, stating "I don’t think that matters right now. … I played terrible, so we just got to move on to the next one.”
Game 5 is going to be a pivotal game as no matter who wins, someone will be pushed to the brink of elimination. The Clippers are clearly the stronger team here although they have choked in the playoffs before. With this in mind, Doncic and his Mavs are still in contention, and they shouldn't get too discouraged just yet.
As for his neck, perhaps the rest in between games will help Doncic get prepared for what will prove to be the most important game of the series.
