Dallas Mavericks

The Dallas Mavericks announced Luka Doncic entered the NBA's health and safety protocols.

As a result, the two-time All-Star will be out for Thursday's game against the Milwaukee Bucks. He has already missed Dallas' last five games because of an ankle injury, with the Mavs going 3-2 over that span.

Teams around the NBA are struggling to have enough players active amid the surge in positive COVID-19 cases due to the omicron variant. On Wednesday, the NBA postponed two more games because the Toronto Raptors and Brooklyn Nets fell below the eight-player threshold.

Despite the difficulties posed by the present situation, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver told ESPN's Malika Andrews on Tuesday that the league isn't going to enter a temporary pause:

Commissioner Adam Silver joined NBA Today to talk about COVID in the league as Christmas Day approaches.

Silver said there are currently no plans to pause the season. pic.twitter.com/LFIPCCejnQ

— Malika Andrews (@malika_andrews) December 21, 2021

As a result, the Mavericks will have to continue forging ahead without their best player. The NBA could be without another of its biggest stars for Christmas, with Trae Young of the Atlanta Hawks possibly missing out on the noon ET game at the New York Knicks before the Mavs are slated to play at the Utah Jazz at 10:30.

Doncic is averaging 25.6 points, 8.0 rebounds and 8.5 assists. Wednesday's news is another setback in a season when off-court stories have overshadowed his performance on it.

The 22-year-old's absence will force Jalen Brunson to take over as Dallas' lead playmaker. The 6'1" guard is dishing out 5.2 assists per game, second-best on the team, and averaging 15.3 points.

Dallas Mavericks forward Kristaps Porzingis is one of a number of players who will miss Tuesday's game against the Minnesota Timberwolves.

According to Mark Medina of NBA.com, Porzingis will be sidelined with right toe soreness.

What's more, Luka Doncic is out with a sore left ankle, and Reggie Bullock, Tim Hardaway Jr, Josh Green and Maxi Kleber are all in the league's health and safety protocols. 

Porzingis was forced to leave Sunday's game against the Timberwolves with what was later described as toe soreness.

The 26-year-old has also missed time this season because of a knee contusion, ankle sprain and low back tightness.

Injuries have long been an issue for Porzingis, who hasn't played more than 60 games in a season since 2016-17 with the New York Knicks. He tore his ACL the next season and has been in and out of the lineup over the past three years with the Mavericks.

Knee, ankle and back issues limited him to just 43 games in 2020-21.

Porzingis remains an impact player when on the floor, averaging 19.4 points, 7.9 rebounds and 1.6 blocks per game in 2021-22. The production is still likely less than Dallas was expecting when he was signed to a five-year, $158 million contract extension.

Dwight Powell should see more minutes with Porzingis dealing with the latest injury.

Dallas Mavericks forward Kristaps Porzingis' X-rays on his right foot came back negative, coach Jason Kidd told reporters after a 111-105 loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves on Sunday.

He had 13 points (2-of-9 shooting) and three rebounds in 23 minutes prior to exiting with right foot soreness.

Porzingis missed five games early in the season because of a back ailment. He also suffered a right ankle sprain in a 114-96 loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers on Nov. 29.

The 26-year-old is having a productive season, averaging 19.7 points and 8.1 rebounds per game while shooting 44.3 percent from the floor in 21 games. 

Porzingis hasn't been the most durable player in his career. He missed 29 games for the Mavericks during the 2020-21 campaign because of various injuries, including knee, ankle, back and wrist ailments.

The 2015 fourth overall pick was also held out of several games for injury recovery, injury management and rest. He has never played a full 82-game season. 

Porzingis' lengthy injury history dates back to his rookie season. He also missed the entire 2018-19 season with a torn ACL. In addition, he has suffered from knee, ankle and heel injuries during his career.

During an offseason appearance on the Mavs Film Room podcast, Mavericks governor Mark Cuban was optimistic about Porzingis' outlook for the 2021-22 campaign: "He's healthy. He's coming in a lot healthier. He's coming in with a fresh set of expectations. He's coming in with something to prove."

Dallas is 14-14 and in eighth place in the Western Conference. If the Mavericks want to contend for a title alongside the Golden State Warriors and Phoenix Suns, they need Porzingis healthy.

Austin Reaves hit a game-winning three-pointer with nine-tenths of a second left as the Los Angeles Lakers defeated the host Dallas Mavericks 107-104 in overtime on Wednesday in American Airlines Center.

https://twitter.com/NBA/status/1471319984186040327

Lakers guard Wayne Ellington hit a corner three-pointer with two seconds left in regulation to tie the game at 93 and send it to OT.

Wayne Ellington sends us to overtime 🔥🔥🔥 pic.twitter.com/7G0nbOikZQ

— Los Angeles Lakers (@Lakers) December 16, 2021

LeBron James led the Lakers with 24 points, Anthony Davis added a 20-point, 12-rebound double-double and Russell Westbrook posted a near triple-double with 23 points, 10 rebounds and nine assists. Reaves had 15 points and seven boards off the bench.

Mavs guard Jalen Brunson led all scorers with 25 points. Kristaps Porzingis added 23 points and 12 rebounds for Dallas.

The short-handed Lakers were without Dwight Howard, Talen Horton-Tucker and Malik Monk because of the league's health-and-safety protocols. Mavs guard Luka Doncic sat his fourth straight game with left ankle soreness.

The 16-13 Lakers have won three straight. The 14-14 Mavs' two-game win streak broke in defeat.

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Notable Performances

Mavericks F/C Kristaps Porzingis: 23 points, 12 rebounds

Mavericks G Jalen Brunson: 25 points, 9 assists

Mavericks G/F Tim Hardaway Jr.: 20 points, 9 rebounds

Lakers PG Russell Westbrook: 23 points, 10 rebounds, 9 assists

Lakers PF/C Anthony Davis: 20 points, 12 rebounds

Lakers F LeBron James: 24 points, 5 assists

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Reaves, Ellington Save Day for Lakers

The Big Three trio of Westbrook, James and Davis did its job Wednesday, combining for 67 points, 25 rebounds and 16 assists.

However, the Mavericks played a great game even without Doncic, and the duo of Brunson and Porzingis proved hard to stop in a defensive slugfest.

The Lakers needed some heroics outside the Big Three to pull off this road win, and that happened with Ellington and Reaves getting the job done late.

Ellington scored all nine of his points in the fourth quarter, knocking down a trio of three-pointers in a low-scoring frame that saw each team score just 20 points.

The final three-pointer was obviously the biggest, as it sent the Lakers into OT.

The first one stopped some early fourth-quarter bleeding in the form of an 8-0 Mavs run to begin the final 12 minutes. The second one was in response to a Trey Burke layup and cut the Mavs' lead to 87-85.

The Lakers aren't winning without any of Ellington's threes, as his hot outside shooting down the stretch gave L.A. a chance.

Ellington's co-hero was Reaves, who also hit a big fourth-quarter three when he grabbed an Ellington pass and nailed an outside jumper to slash the Mavs' edge to 89-88.

However, Reaves' body of work throughout this game proved to be crucial. The Lakers didn't get much offensive production outside the Big Three, but Reaves was there to deliver with his 15 points on his 5-of-6 three-point shooting.

The Lakers finished plus-10 with Reaves on the floor, and it's easy to see him continue establishing himself as a crucial member of this rotation as L.A. digs out of its early season hole.

He clearly has a big fan in Davis:

AD on Austin Reaves: "Big-time shot. ... He's sponge. He soaks up all the information we give. ... He's hard worker, plays hard. Do the right things."

— Ryan Ward (@RyanWardLA) December 16, 2021

AD on Austin Reaves’ game-winning shot: “Big-time shot. … He’s not afraid of the moment and it shows right there.”

— Jovan Buha (@jovanbuha) December 16, 2021

Ultimately, the Lakers are going to need more contributions outside Davis, Westbrook and James to have any chance of a deep playoff run. Games like Wednesday, when Reaves and Ellington came through in the clutch, are a very welcome sight as L.A. looks to accomplish its championship goal.

    

Brunson Does All He Can in Defeat

The Mavs faced a tall order Wednesday against a hot Lakers team featuring all three of their stars as Doncic sat because of his ankle injury.

However, Brunson was clearly up to the task as he scored his 25 points on 11-of-18 shooting and dished nine assists as he tried to lead Dallas to victory.

Brunson certainly played well enough for the Mavs to win. The problem was Dallas struggled from the three-point line, hitting just 12 of 44 shots from deep.

That teamwide slump didn't impact Brunson, who made two of four from downtown. But he did most of his work from inside the arc, and the Lakers had no answers.

Defense turned into offense as Brunson got the ball following a KP block and went right at James to the rim for two in the second quarter:

FEARLESS 👀 pic.twitter.com/JBKoMqYjzM

— Dallas Mavericks (@dallasmavs) December 16, 2021

The Brunson-Porzingis connection was on point as the floor general found him for an alley-oop:

No friends in the industry 😈@AcmeBrick | #MFFL pic.twitter.com/dDwFm8IpAU

— Dallas Mavericks (@dallasmavs) December 16, 2021

Brunson ended up with 15 points at the half and 23 before the third quarter ended. His efforts put the Mavs in position to win, but some excellent three-point shooting down the stretch ultimately changed this game's storyline.

Still, Brunson continues to impress for the Mavs, averaging 14.8 points on 49.7 percent shooting after Wednesday. Dallas will need him to continue that production as it looks for a return trip to the playoffs, but Brunson looks ready for the task.

   

What's Next?

Both teams now head north to take on the Minnesota Timberwolves at the Target Center.

Los Angeles will visit the T-Wolves on Friday at 10 p.m. ET. Dallas will face Minneapolis on Sunday at 8 p.m.

Dallas Mavericks point guard Luka Doncic is expected to remain sidelined for at least next week, head coach Jason Kidd said on Wednesday.

Per NBA reporter Marc Stein, Doncic will stay in Dallas this weekend to undergo treatment for left ankle soreness that has caused him to miss the past three games. The Mavericks will be traveling for a road game against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Sunday.

Doncic has been hobbled since spraining his left ankle on Nov. 15. He was forced to miss the next three games before making his return, but the soreness persisted. He was also absent for the game against the Memphis Grizzlies on Dec. 4 to rest his ankle.

The Slovenian is Dallas' most important player. He leads the team with 25.6 points, 8.0 rebounds and 8.5 assists per game this season, and no other Mavericks player averages more than 20 points. Dallas is 2-4 in the games he has missed.

During his young career, Doncic has established himself as one of the most prolific offensive players in the NBA. Through four seasons, he has averaged 25.7 points, 8.3 rebounds and 7.8 assists. However, he struggles with shooting efficiency, as he has a career three-point field-goal percentage of 33.1.

The Mavericks will have a hard time replacing the two-time All-Star's production in his absence. Kristaps Porzingis will likely be relied on to handle the scoring load. He's second on the team with 19.5 points and 7.9 rebounds per game.

Fourth-year point guard Jalen Brunson will take over the ball-handling duties. The Villanova product is in the middle of the best season of his career, with averages of 14.4 points and 4.8 assists. Veteran point guard Trey Burke will also likely see more playing time while Doncic recovers.

New details about the fractured relationship between former Dallas Mavericks head coach Rick Carlisle and franchise superstar Luka Doncic have been revealed. 

Per ESPN's Tim MacMahon, Doncic became particularly unhappy with the way Carlisle would treat Mavericks players and executives. 

One situation cited by MacMahon was Carlisle's "apparent determination to make" Dennis Smith Jr. "miserable" when he was in Dallas: 

Multiple players were shocked during one early-season team meeting when Carlisle accused Smith of being jealous of Doncic, sources said. The players considered it incredibly unfair to Smith, who wasn't playing well but was making an honest effort to mesh with Doncic on the court.

One unnamed player on the 2018-19 Mavericks roster told MacMahon that Doncic "hated how Rick treated other people."

Smith, who was traded to the New York Knicks as part of the package for Kristaps Porzingis in Jan. 2019, chimed in on MacMahon's report on Twitter: 

This article about my time there is spot on. And that’s coming from staff members n players! Y’all don’t even know the half. https://t.co/9gh2DI4xPu

— Dennis Smith Jr. (@Dennis1SmithJr) December 15, 2021

Following Carlisle's decision to step down as Mavs head coach in June, rumblings of discord between him and members of the organization began to percolate. 

Per Tim Cato of The Athletic, Carlisle "was often difficult to deal with: lashing out verbally at non-star players he disliked or having angry outbursts directed at inanimate objects behind closed doors."

According to MacMahon, Carlisle did have moments last season when he attempted to rehab his relationship with Doncic. 

"The coach heaped praise on his star in the media, often comparing him to legends such as Larry Bird and Magic Johnson, and protected the Mavs' young face of the franchise from criticism, even if it required stretching logic to do so." wrote MacMahon. 

It was unsuccessful, in part, because the dynamic "was too far gone" and Doncic became "more defiant" of Carlisle during games. 

One such instance came early in the 2020-21 season when Doncic openly questioned Carlisle's authority with the Mavs: 

'Who's in charge—you or Bob?' Doncic barked on his way back to the bench during an early-season game. He was referring to then-Mavs director of quantitative research Haralabos 'Bob' Voulgaris, whose rise in power played a role in Dallas' front-office dysfunction and who many players believed dictated lineups and rotation decisions to Carlisle. Carlisle relied heavily on Voulgaris' data but always had final say, team sources said.

Doncic emerged as one of the best players in the NBA during his first three seasons playing for Carlisle. He's finished in the top 10 in MVP voting in each of the past two seasons. 

The Mavs made the postseason in each of the last two seasons under Carlisle, but their inability to close games led to first-round exits. They lost the final two games against the Los Angeles Clippers after taking a 3-2 series lead in last year's postseason. 

Less than two weeks after that loss, Carlisle announced he was leaving Dallas after 13 seasons. Jason Kidd, who played for Carlisle from 2008-12, was hired as head coach on June 28. 

Dallas owns a 14-13 record thus far in Kidd's first season with the team.    

Dallas Mavericks governor Mark Cuban told NBA insider Marc Stein on Tuesday the team has not had trade talks revolving around Brooklyn Nets star Kyrie Irving, despite rumors to the contrary. 

Earlier in the day, SNY's Ian Begley reported that the Mavericks reached out to the Nets about Irving, and that big man Kristaps Porzingis was "brought up" in the conversation. 

Begley added that it was "unknown if talks between Brooklyn and Dallas advanced past a preliminary stage."

Due to New York City's mandate that athletes playing in indoor arenas must be vaccinated, Irving has not been permitted to participate in home games, with the Nets deciding he would remain away from the team rather than being a part-time player. 

No such mandate exists in Texas. 

Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium reported Monday, however, that there is "renewed optimism" that Irving might return to the team at some point this season, though it is unclear if that optimism is based on Irving considering getting vaccinated or the Nets changing their stance and allowing him to practice with the team and play in road games.

Charania added that Kevin Durant and Irving have had "increased communication about his fit on the team, breaking down the games, and about life in general" in recent weeks.

If that doesn't happen and the Nets entertain trade offers, however, a deal involving Porzingis and presumably additional players and a multitude of draft picks could make sense for both sides. 

While Irving is clearly the superior player to Porzingis, the latter would give the team a floor-stretching big man capable of protecting the rim (1.6 blocks per game). He'd also give them an actual player on the floor, something Irving hasn't provided. 

And giving Luka Doncic another playmaker and scoring threat would take the burden off of him considerably. Irving's ability to play off the ball would work well with Doncic's heavy usage as the primary point of attack in Dallas' offense, as Irving comfortably slid to the 2-guard role next to James Harden, a pairing that worked well. 

Granted, it isn't the only Irving deal that would make sense. An Irving for Ben Simmons swap makes some sense, considering both players have yet to play for their respective teams this season. And surely if Irving is actually available via trade, teams will come calling. 

Whether Brooklyn will actually pull the trigger—or whether Durant would sign off on dealing the player he chose to join forces with in free agency—remains to be seen.

But the title window for Durant and Harden won't remain open forever. If Irving remains unavailable for the rest of the year, giving up on a year of that title window would be a huge risk, especially with Harden's own free agency looming.

Dallas Mavericks star Luka Doncic is expected to miss multiple games because of "persistent left ankle soreness," according to NBA reporter Marc Stein.

Stein noted an exact timeline is still being determined.

Doncic has already missed time this season because of ongoing ankle issues. He originally suffered the injury in the fourth quarter of a 111-101 win over the Denver Nuggets on Nov. 15.

The Mavs held Doncic out of their next three games. The two-time All-Star returned to the lineup on Nov. 23. He appeared in five consecutive games before being held out of the second game on a back-to-back against the Memphis Grizzlies on Dec. 4.

Doncic told reporters after a loss to the Indiana Pacers on Dec. 10 he "probably shouldn't have played" in the fourth quarter because his ankle was causing problems.

"I wasn't feeling very good," he added, "but I tried to be out there."

On Saturday, he was ruled out of Sunday's contest against the Oklahoma City Thunder.

The loss of Doncic only compounds the issues Dallas has already been having this season. Head coach Jason Kidd has the Mavs off to a 12-13 start. They are currently eighth in the Western Conference, but this is a disappointing record for a team that went 42-30 last season.

Doncic has been part of the problem for the Mavericks. He's still playing at a high level with 25.6 points, 8.5 assists and 8.0 rebounds per game in 21 starts. But the 22-year-old isn't scoring with the same efficiency he did last season. His shooting percentage is at 44.7 percent, down from 47.9 percent in 2020-21.

Until Doncic is able to return, Kidd will likely turn to Jalen Brunson as his starting point guard.

Dallas Mavericks guard Luka Doncic will miss Sunday's game against the Oklahoma City Thunder because of left ankle soreness, the team announced Saturday. 

The 22-year-old has been bothered by an ankle injury throughout the 2021-22 season, and he aggravated it in Friday night's loss to the Indiana Pacers. 

Sunday will mark the fifth game Doncic has missed since Nov. 15. 

The Mavs offense tends to fall apart when the Slovenian isn't on the floor, so any extended absence would be a critical blow for a team that's already failing to live up to expectations. Dallas is 12-13 and in seventh place in the Western Conference heading into Saturday night. 

Jalen Brunson will stand to get additional playing time in the star's absence. 

Dallas Mavericks point guard Luka Doncic acknowledged that he has to get into better shape after his team's 102-99 home loss to the Brooklyn Nets on Tuesday.

"People are going to talk about it, yes or no," Doncic told reporters. "I know I've got to do better."

Doncic had a busy year on the basketball court, with the Mavs playing 79 total games from Dec. 23, 2020, through June 6, 2021. He then joined up with the Slovenian Olympic men's basketball team soon after, and its run ended on Aug. 7.

The First Team All-NBA member acknowledged his "long summer" and that perhaps he relaxed too much following that tough stretch.

"I had a long summer. I had the Olympics, took three weeks off, and I relaxed a little bit. Maybe too much. I've just got to get back on track."

The comments dropped on the same night that NBA on TNT color commentator Reggie Miller made reference to Doncic's weight midgame.

"To me, looking at him, this is the heaviest I've probably ever seen Luka look, right now," Miller said in part.

"And I know he’s had a long year with the Olympics, but look how he's plodding up and down. He's not really running."

Doncic has been dealing with numerous injuries this year, per ESPN's Tim MacMahon, including a sprained left knee and ankle. He also has a sprained left thumb, per the Mavs' injury report.

Doncic's weight had nothing to do with the Mavs' loss Tuesday. The two-time All-Star played well en route to 28 points, nine assists and six rebounds.

However, the Mavs shot just 9-of-46 from three-point range, which led to Dallas blowing a 17-point third-quarter lead.

Dallas doesn't have much time to rest, as the team's next game is Wednesday evening in Memphis against the Grizzlies. The Mavs will look to get back to .500 after dropping to 11-12 on Tuesday.