Dallas Mavericks star surprisingly out for Game 4 vs. Clippers

Dallas Mavericks star Kristaps Porzingis (knee) out for Game 4 against the LA Clippers

The Dallas Mavericks and their fans were worried about the status of Luka Doncic. He injured his ankle in game three. It looked bad, but Luka attempted to come back in the fourth quarter. Doncic lasted less than three minutes before being taken out for the rest of the night.

Luka Doncic played in game four. It was an incredible recovery for the 21-year-old superstar.

The Mavs got some bad news before Sunday’s game too. They had a surprising star out for game four. Kristaps Porzingis was out with a knee injury. Let us take a closer look.

Kristaps Porzingis (knee) out for Game 4 of Dallas Mavericks first-round playoff series

Porzingis had been on the injury report frequently in the Walt Disney World bubble. He missed two of the eight seeding games. KP was on the injury report for all three playoff games with a knee or heel injury. Porzingis played in all three games. He averaged 23.7 points and 8.7 rebounds on 52.5 percent shooting the field.

It was surprising to get this news courtesy of Brad Townsend just before tipoff.

Porzingis being out is a massive blow for the Mavericks. He is the key to this series. The Clippers do not have a player that can match up on the Unicorn. The Mavs will miss him on Sunday afternoon.

Coach Rick Carlisle decided to start Trey Burke in place of Kristaps Porzingis. Expect the Mavs to go small for the entire game. Maxi Kleber and Boban Marjanovic will play the five with Dallas using guards and wings around them. Do not count the Mavs out. Luka Doncic could be in for a monster performance that leads them to the upset.

The Smoking Cuban will have plenty more on Kristaps Porzingis’ injury plus daily analysis on the Dallas Mavericks, so please stay tuned.