Mavericks star rookie Luka Doncic is dealing with a thigh injury and will miss Sunday's game against the Thunder, with the possibility of missing more matchups.
Coach Rick Carlisle explained Saturday that Doncic has a right thigh contusion and Dallas will exercise caution in allowing the 20-year-old guard to return. The Mavericks are 29-46 and will miss the playoffs for the third straight season.
"We're going to be very prudent with this and make sure that he's 100 percent before even thinking about him getting back out there," Carlisle said, via Dallas Morning News.
Doncic suffered the injury in the beginning of Thursday's 105-99 loss to the Heat when he was hit on the knee, though he still played 31 minutes.
"I saw the film," Carlisle said of the knee bang. "It was a direct hit, really painful at first. ... But he was not moving great."
Selected by the Hawks with the No. 3 overall pick in the 2018 draft, Doncic was traded to the Mavericks on draft night. He has started in 70 of the team's 75 games, averaging 21.1 points with 7.6 rebounds while shooting 42.5 percent from the field.
