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News, Blog and GuidesThe status of the Slovenian is a big topic ahead of the all-important Game 3 at American Airlines Center.
William GittinsWillGittUpdate: Jun 11th, 2024 07:41 EDT0
Peter CaseyUSA TODAY Sports via Reuters Con
So far the 2024 NBA Finals have gone pretty much as expected, with the Boston Celtics picking up two home court victories to start the series. The Dallas Mavericks return to American Airlines Center for Game 3 on Wednesday knowing that they need a win to boost their championship ambitions.
Key to their prospects is the fitness of Luka Doncic. The Slovenian superstar has top-scored for the Mavs in both Finals games so far – breaking 30 points in each – but was a doubt ahead of Game 2 with a thoracic contusion.
He played through the chest injury in Boston and was asked about the status of his fitness status after the game: “I always want to play, so all day we did a lot of things to get it ready for the game,” he explained, adding: “I was good, I felt ok.”
Luka is his name, gettin' buckets is his game 🪄 pic.twitter.com/VvBakFNNFh
— Dallas Mavericks (@dallasmavs) June 10, 2024
After making it through Game 2 unscathed Doncic looks set to feature again on Wednesday, a major boost for the Mavericks as they look to mount a comeback.
Luka Doncic stats show elite performance
The 2024 Finals have been billed as a meeting of a supreme team, Boston, and the incredible individual talents of Luka Doncic. Things have not gone to plan for the Mavericks so far but no one can doubt Doncic’s offensive stats in a losing team.
In the history of the NBA, only Michael Jordan boasts a better playoff points per game (PPG) average than Doncic. In fact, Jordan (33.4 PPG) and Doncic (31.1 PPG) are the only two players to have a post-season average of more than 30 points.
