The disaster for the Mavs: Doncic, injured

If things can go wrong, they will go wrong. It is, at least, what is happening to the Mavericks, who already in a compromised situation have been left without Luka Doncic until further notice. The Slovenian once again has discomfort in his left thigh and will have to undergo an MRIbut he has already warned that he does not feel “Nothing good”. His gestures of pain were evident in the game between the Pelicans and Mavs (113-106), a new defeat that, however, is not the worst news for the team after losing the Slovenian, who did not jump onto the track in the last quarter, was bandaged in an ostentatious way and had visible grimaces on his face as a result of a self-inflicted injury, without colliding with any rival or falling to the ground in whatever way. Total disaster.

Doncic had been on the track for more than 27 minutes before his injury and did not go on the track in a last period that the Mavs began trailing by 16 (81-65). The Mavericks, with hardly any rotation, had to entrust themselves to Kyrie Irving, who played 41 minutes, to sort things out, but not for those: they came within 4 with less than a minute to go after scoring 41 points in less than 12 minutes (110-106)but the Pelicans managed to close an important victory and took advantage of Doncic’s injury, but also a very bad game by a team that was already losing when its star fell and that has an evident lack of depth in the rotation and a coach oblivious to everything and that gives the feeling that he has a tremendous desire for the season to end and thus subside the storm.

At the time of his injury, Doncic was not having a good game: 15 points, 3 rebounds and 8 assists, but 4 of 14 shooting from the field and 1 of 5 from 3-pointers. Nor was Kyrie, with 27 goals, the solution in the minutes that he was on track. Tim Hardaway went to 17 (5 of 12 on 3-pointers), Dwight Powell made 12 and Christian Wood led off the bench with 15+8, but he continues to pose a problem in the rotation when he aligns with Doncic and Kyrie and spoils more. still an already inoperative defense. Jaden Hardy, with 11 points, was the positive surprise for the Mavericks, who totally lost the battle for the rebound (49 to 34) and fought without any kind of conviction power, as if the victory against the Jazz had been a mere mirage and not a reason to somehow trust.

For the Pelicans, the hero was CJ McCollum, who once again showed his familiar experience to finish with 32 points and score 13 in the last 4 minutes of the game. There were five local players with double digits in scoring and 32 spectacular assists were distributed in a wonderful choral exercise. The Pelicans (31-35) remain in play-in (tenths) but it has already been leaked that the return of Zion Williamson is not exactly close and it will be very difficult for them to maintain the position they currently occupy. For their part, the Mavericks fall to eighth place, they have 1.5 victories behind the rising Lakers and a 2.5 margin to manage so as not to be left out of everything. and run out of chances for the final phase, which would be a resounding failure and would have serious consequences. The Mavs need to add. With or without Doncic.