NBA
Will Luka Doncic play tonight for the Mavs against the Timberwolves in Game 5? Injury update
Slovenian star Doncic has been scoring for fun against the Timberwolves, despite his fitness issues.
The Timberwolves lived to survive another day, beating the Mavs in their crucial game 4 that had the potential to end their postseason dream.
Luka Doncic will have another bite of the cherry at Target Center against the Minnesota Timberwolves if they want to set up a championship game against the Boston Celtics.
However, ahead of Game 5 (Thursday 30 May, 8:30pm ET) of the Western Conference Finals there is again a question mark over the Slovenian star’s fitness.
The reasons behind Doncic’s “questionable” status
The 25-year-old has been visibly playing through the pain barrier of late and has been listed as questionable for a number of games, including Tuesday’s match-up in Texas.
As per the official NBA injury report, Doncic is suffering with a right knee sprain and left ankle soreness and has been for some time, yet he has played in all 15 of the Mavs’ playoff games after sitting out the last two match-ups of the regular season in mid-April.
What does being “questionable” mean in NBA?
Unlike in some sports, such as soccer, NBA teams must follow specific rules when it comes to reporting injuries.
According to the NBA itself:
NBA teams must report information concerning player injuries, illnesses and rest for all NBA games. By 5 p.m. local time on the day before a game (other than the second day of a back-to-back), teams must designate a participation status and identify a specific injury, illness or potential instance of a healthy player resting for any player whose participation in the game may be affected by such injury, illness or rest. For the second game of a back-to-back, teams must report the above information by 1 p.m. local time on the day of the game.
Reports are updated on a continual basis throughout the day.
Players who are listed as questionable, as has been Doncic’s case for a couple of weeks, theoretically have a 50-50 chance of playing, although the Mavericks appear to be taking a cautious, just-in-case approach with their injury reporting on their star man.
Doncic playing through the pain barrier
A few days ago, TNT’s Jared Greenberg revealed that the point guard has been suffering from an injury that would, under normal circumstances, keep him on the sidelines. “Today, I was told if this were the regular season, he would have been shut down for a minimum of at least two weeks”.
There is, however, nothing to suggest that Game 4 against the Timberwolves will be any different to Games 1, 2 and 3, in which Doncic racked up 98 points despite, apparently, not being 100% fit.
What time does Mavericks vs Timberwolves start?
Game 4 of the Minnesota Timberwolves vs. Dallas Mavericks NBA Playoffs series will be played at American Airlines Center on Thursday, May 30, 2024 at 8 p.m. ET (5 p.m. PT).
How can I watch Mavericks vs Timberwolves?
The following channels will be broadcasting the game live in the US: TNT & TruTV.
You can also watch a live stream of the game on fuboTV, which offers users a free trial
We can almost certainly expect to see the Slovenian star in all his glory on Thursday, with a nine-break before the NBA Finals the reward if the Mavs can get past Minnesota. Dallas will likely need a fully-rested Doncic if they are to have any chance of winning their second championship against the much-fancied Celtics.