Luka Doncic has MRI on heel: Dallas Mavericks star could miss time

Dallas Mavericks superstar Luka Doncic was having another incredible performance on Thursday night when he injured his heel after a hard fall midway through the third quarter. Doncic tried to stay in the game but was forced to exit moments later and unable to return. The team ruled him out with a heel contusion, and fans were fretting as Dallas nearly blew a 28-point lead against the Pelicans.

It was a scary fall after a collision with both Jonas Valanciunas and Brandon Ingram. Mavs head coach Jason Kidd said postgame that the team would have a better idea of the severity of Luka's injury on Friday. Doncic did not practice, and he had an MRI on Feb. 3.

ESPN's Tim MacMahon noted that the injury is “not severe”, but he was uncertain if Doncic would miss time because of it. He won't play in Saturday’s Western Conference finals rematch against the Dubs, and fans should expect more news as soon as Friday night. Here is everything we know, and why the Mavs need Doncic back ASAP.

Luka Doncic has MRI on heel: Dallas Mavericks star could miss time

It appears to be good news thus far. If the injury is not severe, Doncic may miss a few games, but he should return before the All-Star break. Dallas begins a five-game road trip on Saturday night, and their final seven games before the break are all against Western Conference playoff hopefuls. The Mavs need Luka back as soon as possible as they navigate a season-defining stretch of games over the next two weeks.

Dorian Finney-Smith made it seem like Doncic would miss at least Saturday's game, and fans can see his post-practice quote below courtesy of MacMahon.

Doncic hates missing games, and he knows how important the upcoming stretch is to his team. The Mavericks moved into fourth in the West with Thursday’s win, but they are just two games ahead of the Portland Trail Blazers, who are 11th and currently out of the play-in tournament. The standings are crowded and every game matters, so Dallas cannot afford to play without their star, especially for an extended stretch of games.

Dallas will be shorthanded to begin their five-game road trip. Maxi Kleber was cleared for contact, but he won't play on Saturday night. Davis Bertans suffered a calf injury in Thursday's game that will keep him out, and Christian Wood won't play, despite returning to practice after missing the last seven games with a broken left thumb

Luka will not fly to San Francisco with the team on Friday, which means he will likely miss Feb. 4 showdown against the Warriors. The Dallas Mavericks have not ruled him out for the rest of the road trip, and he could rejoin the team at any time.

Hopefully, the MRI checks out clean and Luka Doncic can play on this five-game west coast road trip. If not, fans will be holding their breath until number 77 is back on the court. Stay tuned for all the latest injury updates.