Luka Doncic's unbelievable injury update shows painful severity

On Wednesday night, the Dallas Mavericks secured a 104-92 Game 5 victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder. After blowing a double-digit lead in Game 4 that resulted in a massive momentum swing in the series, the Mavericks responded with a near wire-to-wire victory on the road.

Defensively, the Mavericks displayed their best outing in Game 5 by holding the Thunder to a series-low 92 points on the night. Players like Derrick Jones Jr. and Dereck Lively II anchored down on the defensive end and made it hard for any Thunder player to score down low with ease.

Off the bench, Josh Green played a critical role in stopping the Thunder's offensive momentum. Green only recorded one steal in Game 5, but locked up multiple Thunder guards in the second half. In these playoffs, Green has been a player that fans have called out to play better under the spotlight.

Luka Doncic's unbelievable injury update shows painful severity

Superstar Luka Doncic also had one of his best games of the playoffs with 31 points, 11 assists, and 10 rebounds. While Doncic looked like his old self in Game 5, he's all but been a shell of himself for the duration of the NBA Playoffs after sustaining multiple injuries. During the second round, Doncic has only managed to squeak out a 22-point average while shooting 39 percent from the field.

On multiple occasions, fans have visibly seen Doncic grimacing in between timeouts or after physical plays. It's been clear that Doncic is being held back by the number of injuries he has sustained since the playoffs began.

According to TNT's Jared Greenberg, Doncic has been battling multiple injuries, and if it wasn't for the playoffs Doncic would have been sidelined for a minimum of two weeks. "Today, I was told if this were the regular season, he would have been shut down for a minimum of at least two weeks".

Doncic has fought tooth and nail to remain on the court for the playoffs which could have been a result of his recent postseason struggles. He has been dealing with a knee sprain, ankle sprain, back injury, and a sore Achilles, and he has been receiving hours of treatment every day for these injuries.

It's been clear that Doncic hasn't looked like the healthiest player over this playoffs after seeing him struggle. Yet despite struggling, Doncic has still managed to affect the game in positive ways. In Game 5, Doncic arguably had his best offensive game and managed to keep his turnovers under four for the first time all series long.

Doncic's injuries are concerning due to how timely they are, but fans shouldn't worry as Doncic has only begun to heat up. In Game 5, Doncic brought out a new version of himself and played with a much more calm and happy demeanor which could have resulted in his scoring explosion.

If Doncic can manage to fight off the pain a little longer and tap into his newfound approach to the game, the Mavericks could close out the Thunder in six games. For more updates on the Mavericks playoff series with the OKC Thunder, stay plugged in.