The forward Luka Doncic practiced for the first time in two weeks on Wednesday, but he is not expected to play in Thursday’s preseason game between the Dallas Mavericks and Milwaukee Bucks.
Doncic performed “really, really well,” according to head coach Jason Kidd on Wednesday afternoon. He is recovering from a left leg contusion he suffered during team exercises at training camp.
Following an MRI that showed no significant damage, the Mavericks advised Doncic to take a week off before he returned to the floor.
Next week, on October 24, Dallas will host the San Antonio Spurs to kick off the regular season. However, Dallas would be playing Doncic, Kyrie Irving, and Klay Thompson together for the first time if he is out for the Mavericks’ Thursday home game against Milwaukee and the Spurs’ first regular-season matchup.
Thompson, 34, has played in many preseason games despite having soreness in his back. He had a poor shooting start on Monday against the Clippers, going 0 for 9.
In free agency, Thompson inked a three-year, $50 million contract. Kidd saw the sharpshooter as an essential component of the team that was winning the Western Conference at the time.
He has averaged 28.7 points, 8.7 rebounds, and 8.3 assists per game in 400 career regular-season games.
With a league-high 33.9 points per game and a career-high 9.8 assists to go along with 9.2 rebounds per game, he exceeded those figures in 2023–2024. Averaging 40.9 minutes, 28.9 points, 9.5 rebounds, and 8.1 assists in 22 postseason games, he participated in the league despite his ailments.
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