Mavericks’ star player Luka Doncic is set to play in Tuesday’s game against the Houston Rockets, as revealed by coach Jason Kidd during Monday’s practice. An MRI confirmed that Doncic’s left thumb injury is a low-grade strain. However, rookie center Dereck Lively, who is recuperating from a lower back injury, remains questionable.

 

Doncic sustained his left thumb injury during Saturday’s match against the Los Angeles Clippers. After undergoing an MRI and a practice session on Monday, Kidd assured that Doncic would not miss any game time.

 

On the other hand, Lively, who suffered a lower back injury from a fall against the Lakers last Wednesday, participated in Monday’s practice. Despite this, Kidd mentioned that Lively’s status for Tuesday’s game is still uncertain. Lively was absent in Saturday’s game against the Clippers, and his absence was noticeably felt by the team.

 

The Mavericks benefit from a favorable NBA schedule, providing them with necessary breaks. They had two days off after Lively’s injury, another two days off between the games against the Clippers and Rockets, and will enjoy an additional two days off before facing the Grizzlies at home on Friday.

 

This scheduling allows the Mavericks to be cautious with Lively’s recovery, ensuring he doesn’t miss many games. If Lively sits out against Houston but returns for the Memphis game, he will have missed only two games while benefiting from eight days of recovery.