PHOENIX — For a second straight game, the Dallas Mavericks will be without their leader Luka Doncic.
Doncic (left knee and left ankle sprains) will miss the Mavericks’ game against the Phoenix Suns, the team announced on Friday. Forward Maxi Kleber also remains out with a left oblique strain.
The Mavs conclude their two-game series in Phoenix against the Suns at 9 p.m. CT on Friday, two nights after putting up a valiant effort but falling 105-98 to the defending Western Conference champions.
Doncic’s usage rate — a measure of how many plays are run through a player when they’re on the floor — is the highest in the NBA at 35.2%. Not having him in the lineup is something Kristaps Porzingis said “wasn’t easy” and once again called “weird,” but it’s given the Mavs a chance to experiment a bit and allow Porzingis the chance to make a conscious effort to get his teammates involved.
“Luka’s ball dominant, he’s going to have the ball in his hands and it’s more him creating for everybody else. But when the ball’s coming more through myself, I’m capable of doing that and teams get messed up a lot when we pick-and-roll, pick-and-slip, slip and all those things,” Porzingis said. “I think that’s where we can create some confusion and that’s where I can get those assists.”
He did that on Wednesday, picking up a career-high seven assists to go along with 21 points. It’s a development that was a welcomed sign to Jalen Brunson, who started in Doncic’s place on Wednesday and will likely do so again on Friday.
“KP, he’s a threat at all points on the court — defensively, offensively. When he’s driving, when he’s trying to get to a few spots, he’s been able to see people cutting or spotting up. He can shoot over anybody, so he doesn’t need the help, so to see him in that area look very good, it’s definitely a plus for us.”
The two-game series in Phoenix will be followed by another two-game set, this time in Los Angeles…