Mavericks news: Luka Doncic climbs MVP ladder, Injury updates, Dirk sighting, more

Dallas Mavericks superstar Luka Doncic has been the best player in the NBA over his last ten games. The 23-year-old averaged 40.2 points, 11.2 rebounds, 9.2 assists, and 1.6 steals in 40.8 minutes. Head coach Jason Kidd has been forced to play him massive minutes as the Mavs deal with injuries, and Luka has responded to help his team win nine of their last 12.

Every Friday, NBA.com updates their Kia MVP ladder, and this week, Doncic moved back to second on the list. Luka had two triple-doubles in three games over the last week, and he scored 43 in the other contest. Doncic has been unstoppable, but the race is shaping up to be one of the best in recent memory.

Nikola Jokic held the top spot as he looks to win his third straight MVP, but Jayson Tatum, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Joel Embiid, Kevin Durant, and Ja Morant are all still in the hunt with the season more than half over. The winner could come down to which team wins the most games. Fans know Doncic will have the numbers, but will he get enough votes to win his first NBA MVP honors? Stay tuned to find out.

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Before the Mavericks defeated the Lakers in a wild game on Thursday night, head coach Jason Kidd gave fans injury updates. Josh Green practiced on Wednesday and is nearing a return. Dorian Finney-Smith did contact for the first time on Thursday, and Maxi Kleber just started non-contact work. Kleber will do that for at least the next two weeks. Green could return any day, and the team needs all three players to get healthy.

Dirk Nowitzki was spotted hanging out with former Maverick Ryan Broekhoff in Australia. It appears The Tall Baller from the G and his wife are enjoying a well-deserved vacation.

Luka Doncic had his NBA 2K23 rating increased to a 97 overall on Thursday. He is tied for the highest current rating in the game with Nikola Jokic and Giannis Antetokounmpo.

Christian Wood did a must-read Q&A with NBA.com’s Mark Medina that dropped on Thursday. The 6’10 big man believes Dallas can be the top seed in the West and win a championship this season.

NBA news

The Mavericks' double overtime win over the Lakers took center stage on Thursday night. Luka Doncic finished with a 35-point triple-double as he nailed two clutch 3-pointers to help Dallas win. It was a wild game that featured plenty of bizarre moments, and the Mavs were lucky to escape victorious on the road.

Tyrese Haliburton was ruled out for at least two weeks with elbow and knee injuries suffered in Wednesday’s loss to the New York Knicks. Jalen Brunson was massive in that contest as he continued his All-Star bid. Hopefully, Haliburton makes a speedy recovery, so he can play in his first All-Star game.

The Dallas Mavericks have a back-to-back in Portland against the Trail Blazers on Friday and Saturday. Luka Doncic versus Damian Lillard is always worth the price of admission, so please tune in and enjoy the games.