After a resounding victory over the LA Lakers, the Dallas Mavericks are up and running again and will now take on the Portland Trail Blazers tonight at the American Airlines Center. The Mavericks' win was exceptional to a great extent, as they won without the presence of their star duo Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving. While it was an inspirational performance put in by the Mavs, it came after a considerable period, precisely after five straight defeats. So, even though they did a great job against the Lakers, they would want the boost of Luka Magic on the side. Thus, will the star guard return to the action tonight?
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Luka Doncic Injury Report
Unfortunately for the fans of the Mavs, Luka Doncic will miss out yet again today. The Slovenian sustained an injury on the left calf on Christmas Day against the Minnesota Timberwolves. He has been missing from action since then. However, what worsens Jason Kidd's headache is the unavailability of prominent shooting guard Kyrie Irving. He will remain out due to a bulging disc in his back.
The last time the Mavericks squared off against the Portland Trail Blazers, Irving stood out with a 46-point game, however, the unavailability of Luka Doncic proved to be vital as Trail Blazers still picked up the win. With Irving sidelined, the degree of dauntness will elevate even further for the Mavericks.
In a respite for Kidd, Daniel Gafford is listed as questionable with a left sprained ankle. He picked up the injury on Monday against the Grizzlies and was out against the Lakers on Tuesday. The first impressions of his injury stated that he will remain out for a sizeable period, but his injury status has already been updated.
Mavericks ended the woeful run of losses, which prolonged to 5, with a win over the Lakers, and now it will be intriguing to witness how they will fare against the Trail Blazers. They got the win against the Lakers when they were labelled as underdogs, and they will enter the arena as underdogs again today.