The Latest on Luka Doncic’s Availability for Game 2 of NBA Finals

Luka Doncic has been a regular on the Mavericks’ injury reports this postseason. The five-time All-Star has been playing through a right ankle sprain and left knee soreness in Dallas’ run to the NBA Finals.

In Thursday’s 107-89 series-opening defeat at TD Garden, Doncic suffered a thoracic contusion, an injury that downgraded his status from probable to questionable for Sunday’s matchup.

But the 25-year-old star doesn’t want to short-change his first opportunity to play on a stage he isn’t guaranteed to return to. Furthermore, teams that win the first two games of the NBA Finals at home have won the championship 84.4% of the time (27-5).

So, in a development that should come as no surprise, the visitors have upgraded the five-time All-NBA selection to available for Game 2.

Doncic registered a game-high 30 points and a team-best ten rebounds in the series opener. However, he also finished with one assist for the first time in his playoff career and committed four turnovers.

As he plays through several ailments while trying to prevent the Mavericks from returning to Dallas in an 0-2 hole that may prove too steep to climb out of, he’ll have to try to solve a Celtics defense that stifled him with an exceptional performance in their tone-setting win in Game 1.

Further Reading

Jayson Tatum Responds to Jason Kidd’s Shocking Comment

Jayson Tatum’s Joy Outweighing Pressure of NBA Finals Return

Inside the Moment that Propelled Celtics to NBA Finals Game 1 Win

Preparation and Perspective Fueling Kristaps Porzingis in NBA Finals

Celtics Set the Tone for the NBA Finals with Game 1 Haymaker

Celtics Stars Reflect on Lessons Learned from 2022 NBA Finals

Kyrie Irving Shares Regret and What He Takes from Playing in Boston

Joe Mazzulla Eviscerates Contrived Narrative about Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown

Kristaps Porzingis Details Mental Side of Rehab as He Readies for NBA Finals Return

Al Horford Returns to NBA Finals Aiming to Add to a Legacy Already Cemented