The Dallas Mavericks’ star point guard Luka Doncic gave deeper insight into the shoulder injury that hampered his shooting during the first game of their Western Conference Finals matchup against the Golden State Warriors on Wednesday.
The Slovenian superstar was seen grabbing his shoulder and wincing throughout the second quarter. He finished the night with one of the worst playoff performances of his career, scoring 20 points on 6 of 18 shooting, while commiting seven turnovers as Dallas was dominated 112-87.
Fortunately for Mavericks fans, Doncic says his shoulder is feeling better after he received extensive treatment for the injury. Despite the “little bit of pain” he’s experiencing, Doncic says he is ready to come back strong in Game 2 of the series on Friday.
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Along with the shoulder pain, Donic received a more cosmetic injury thanks to Warriors forward Andrew Wiggins. Earlier in the game, Doncic was crossing center court when he made a move to get around Wiggins, who was guarding him at the time. Wiggins left him arm outstretched and unintentionally swiped at Doncic across the face, marking him under his right eye. Doncic held no grudges against Wiggins, saying that the cut “makes me look tougher.”
Doncic has been instrumental in the Mavericks success this postseason, averaging a team high of 31.7 points through the playoffs. The Mavericks will look to even the series against Steph Curry and the Warriors in Golden State on Friday Night.
