SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Fans and followers hoping to see Luka Doncic play with Kyrie Irving for the first time as teammates will have to wait at least one more day.
The Mavericks ruled out Doncic (right heel contusion) about five hours before tipoff Friday against the Sacramento Kings, marking his fourth consecutive absence since he suffered the injury Feb. 2.
Doncic told reporters Friday morning he played a pickup scrimmage Thursday after the team’s flight to Sacramento, a sign his frequent treatment, massages and icing have helped with healing.
But he said his heel is “still painful” in the mornings before warming up and, at times, when walking.
Doncic still hopes to play Saturday in the second half of this back-to-back against the Kings.
“Time is the best treatment, of course,” he said.
Doncic suffered the injury while attempting to dunk over Pelicans center Jonas Valanciunas in the third quarter of the Mavericks’ Feb. 2 victory over New Orleans. Pelicans star Brandon Ingram managed a clean block from behind, stopping Doncic’s upper-body momentum while his legs continued forward.
His heel struck the court first as he fell hard onto his backside.
“That was a little scary in my mind,” Doncic said. “One second or two I was in the air, it was a little scary, but I think it was nothing compared to what it could be.”
Often self-deprecating about his athleticism, Doncic quipped back at a reporter who joked the 23-year-old All-Star couldn’t have jumped high enough to be in the air for two seconds before hitting the court.
“No, I do,” he said with a smile. “You saw it.”
