The Dallas Mavericks looked like they were headed for a 3-0 series lead on Friday night when they jumped out to a 30-11 lead in the first quarter against the Clippers, but saw L.A. steadily claw their way back into the game, eventually pulling away for a 118-108 win to suddenly make it a series at 2-1.
That the Clippers got the win in a game where Dallas remained scorching hot from three (20-of-39) and Luka Doncic went for 44 points has to make them feel pretty good going forward. On the other side, the Mavs still have to be happy with the looks they’re creating and the fact that their star continues to dominate, but there is some concern about Doncic’s health moving forward.
During the second half of Game 3, Doncic had a heating pad on his shoulder and was dealing with neck and left arm pain, and after some evaluation on Saturday, he is now listed as questionable for Game 4 on Sunday with a cervical strain (neck strain).
The Mavericks say Luka Doncic is questionable for Sunday’s Game 4 against the Clippers with a cervical strain after he complained post-Game 3 about pain in his neck and down his left arm.
— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) May 29, 2021
That is obviously worrisome for the Mavs, as they will only go as far as Doncic takes them, particularly with the struggles of Kristaps Porzingis early in this series. Doncic was still able to hit some massive shots down the stretch as he dealt with the neck injury, but it’s certainly not an ideal situation for Dallas or Doncic. It would be fairly shocking if he were to not play in Game 4, but how effective he can be remains to be seen in a game Dallas needs to win to avoid seeing homecourt slip back to L.A.
