Dallas Mavericks superstar Luka Dončić expects to continue receiving treatment before Game 4 of the NBA Finals.
Dončić told ESPN’s Malika Andrews on Thursday that he will “probably” receive another pain-relieving injection before the Mavericks attempt to overcome a 3-0 series deficit (3:40).
The guard has been hampered by injuries during Dallas’ current payoff run and received a pain-relieving injection to treat his chest contusion before Game 2 (via Andrews and Tim MacMahon of ESPN).
The 25-year-old’s participation was questionable due to the chest bruise before Game 2 against the Boston Celtics, but he was eventually able to play. Since the Mavericks’ third playoff game, he has also been struggling with a sprained right knee and pain in his left ankle.
Nevertheless, Dončić has appeared in every playoff game for Dallas during the current playoff season and has helped them emerge as Western Conference champions. In 20 playoff appearances, he averaged 28.9 points and 9.6 rebounds, along with 8.4 assists per game.
While he recorded an impressive 1.8 steals on a nightly basis during the postseason, his defensive performance against Boston left a lot to be desired. MacMahon wrote on Thursday that Celtics players passed Dončić on an extremely high 67.7 percent of their drives against him, according to Second Spectrum.
It’s quite possible that his poor defense has been exacerbated by the increasing number of injuries, although things don’t seem to be getting any easier as he faces another pain-killing blow before Game 4.
It will still be a tough task for Dončić and the Mavericks, as no team in NBA history has ever overcome a 3-0 series deficit. They will try to keep their season alive on Friday against Boston at 8:30 p.m. ET.
