Luka Doncic

Joel Embiid returned to the floor on Wednesday to help the 76ers get revenge on Luka Doncic and the Mavericks after their first meeting.

It does not look good for the Dallas Mavericks and Luka Doncic with limited opportunities to salvage a berth in the Playoffs.

[Miami Heat](https://www.eurohoops.net/basket/miami-heat/?lang=en&lang=en) and [Atlanta Hawks](https://www.eurohoops.net/basket/atlanta-hawks/?lang=en&lang=en) on the upcoming editions of NBA Saturdays and NBA Sundays, respectively. With five fixtures remaining on the regular-season schedule, they sit one game outside the Play-In zone of the Western Conference. Listed a questionable to play in Philadelphia due to right hamstring soreness, German forward Maxi Kleber returned to action and lasted 26 minutes. In contrast, Latvian Davis Bertans did not play and French Frank Ntilikina was ruled out with a right knee sprain. The Slovenian sensation neared a triple-double with 24 points, ten rebounds, and eight assists over 37 minutes. But the Regular Season is not over yet.

Doncic produced 24 points (9-20 FG, 4-9 3Pt, 2-2 FT), 10 rebounds, eight assists and one block in 37 minutes during Wednesday's 116-108 loss to the 76ers.

• Despite those numbers though, Dallas is only 1-4 over that stretch and is one game back of OKC for the final spot in the play-in tournament, with only five games remaining on the schedule. Over the last five games since returning from a thigh strain, Doncic has four double-doubles and is averaging 30.6 points, 9.4 assists, 9.2 boards and 3.8 threes.

Mental health issues took center stage when Luka Dončić opened up about his struggles. Luka has hit a wall - and who can really blame him.

He is a grown man now and he has grown man issues. Kyrie’s a baller - but his struggles with the media and on his prior teams have not been basketball related - they’ve been about feelings. He’s been a ray of sunshine in a gray and cloudy Dallas. And while many of us saw his struggles and empathized, a lot of people turned against him. To keep showing the joy we all want to see and to keep being the wonder boy we all need. Seeing Luka lose that joy, bit by bit, loss by loss and missed clutch shot, has been devastating to watch. I saw that as a bad sign right away, and watching him, it’s been hard not to get annoyed by his behavior. Life is hard, but watching Luka have that childlike joy of the game makes it easier. He was dominating in the beginning of the season, putting up crazy numbers and gaining MVP traction. It wasn’t just a couple of times a game, it was all the time. The Mavericks collapsed against the Hornets both Friday and Sunday, right after losing a must-win against the Warriors. And Luka Dončić opened up about struggling this season and losing the joy of basketball.

PHILADELPHIA — General manager Nico Harrison has developed an always-present, big-swing reputation during his two seasons leading the Dallas Mavericks....

When you’re winning, you can say the exact same thing and it doesn’t matter, so I just think at the end of the day — even if the off-court stuff is not going well — when you’re winning, it’s tough to not have joy versus when you’re losing. I think just being there and available if and how he wants to engage. He’s one of the best players in the NBA, and he’s bigger than most of the people that guard him, so they’re going to hit him inside. I understand off-court personal matters contribute to that, too, but how have you approached helping him navigate the ups and downs that come when basketball and life aren’t flowing well? Harrison: He knows he needs to focus on the game and not the refs. I think the guys can feel the positive energy and again, I think he’s been in a tough position. Then by the time you get to the basket, even if it’s not a huge foul, you’re frustrated. Kyrie obviously arrived with a reputation for drama to follow him, but all account so far have shown he’s fit in pretty seamlessly in the locker room with everyone. No, those two guys [Luka and Kyrie] are so good they’ll figure it out for you, so you almost don’t have to overthink it or try to outhink it. Harrison: I think for him and for everybody else, it’s really like ‘Go hard.’ You don’t actually have to figure it out. How do you think he’s handled more responsibility since the trade while dipping in efficiency and overall offensive production? Kyrie was out, Luka was out, one played, the other played, so we’re behind where we wanted to be.

Luka Doncic and the Mavs are out of the playoff picture, but they could have been the top team in the West if not for their defense.

In the end, Luka Doncic and the Mavs have no one to blame but themselves. Of course some would say that collapses happen and the Mavs couldn’t have won them all. That’s 13 games that could have been added to their win tally but ended up getting wasted.

The Mavericks are in trouble. While Dallas snapped its four-game losing streak against the Pacers, its recent run of bad form has it in 11th place and ...

76ers will tip off around 7:30 p.m. The game will be played at Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, PA. 4:30 p.m. - Time: 7:30 p.m. For games on NBA TV, subscribe to Sling Orange & Sports Extra for $27.50 in your first month. Viewers can also stream the game on Sling TV. Stream Sling Orange for $20 in your first month to catch all regular season games on TNT, ESPN & ABC. 76ers will air on NBA TV. Mavericks vs. [All other countries](https://nba.sjv.io/c/2436205/1490605/16284?sharedid=NBASection) and U.K.](https://nba.sjv.io/c/2436205/1490605/16284?sharedid=OutsideNBA) can watch the biggest games of the 2022-23 NBA season on Sling TV, which is now offering HALF OFF your first month!

PHILADELPHIA – The NBA scoring title won't exactly be on the line Wednesday at 6:30 p.m. when the Dallas Mavericks Luka face the Philadelphia 76ers at Wells ...

*The Sixers are third in the NBA in scoring differential. All of this occurred right after the Sixers won eight games in a row from March 4-18. It was the first time in Mavs’ history that they had two of their players score at least 40 points in the same game. *This is the third of a five-game road trip for the Mavs, who won in Indiana on Monday, 127-104. And that starts with dethroning the Sixers, who the Mavs defeated in Dallas, 133-126, on March 2. That game also was a coming out party of sorts for Mavs guard Kyrie Irving in his union with Doncic.

Since the trade, the Mavs' offensive rating in the clutch is 107.0 or nearly nine points worse per 100 possessions than their season long number.

They can certainly be the foundation of a title contender, but the Dallas Mavericks cannot with their current roster. Using the superstar duo in pick and rolls together is one simple way of sparking their late-game offense. The team is 4-9 when Doncic and Irving have played together because they have lost so many close games as their offense stalls out.

The Dallas Mavericks traded their best perimeter defender to land Kyrie, and they do not have the right personnel to be a top-ten defensive team, which is the ...

The Dallas Mavericks traded their best perimeter defender to land Kyrie, and they do not have the right personnel to be a top-ten defensive team, which is the hallmark of a title contender. The opposition will pick on Kyrie too. Luka is a subpar defender made worse by his refusal to get back in transition.

It's too early to consider Luka Dončić asking for a trade, which is the Dallas Mavericks' doomsday scenario. But after they lost their fifth game in six ...

Plus, he'd have a dynamic rim runner and protector in Mitchell Robinson, assuming Dallas wouldn't insist on him being in the deal too. And the Mavericks missing the playoffs might feel like another link in a chain of events that would test most stars' patience. Like OKC, the Utah Jazz have a treasure trove of future draft assets. At least one team can check both of those boxes, but a couple of others could at least make the bidding war more interesting. And with five games to play, the team is a whopping 12 wins shy of exceeding its preseason over-under of Even if he does demand a trade, nothing is forcing the Mavericks to appease him. This season has been a catastrophe, and it was headed that way even before the desperation trade to land Kyrie Irving. Dončić ranks second, second and first on those particular leaderboards. But this is the modern NBA. And he's under contract through 2026-27 with a player option for the final year. Those with the best chance of completing a deal would have to have a boatload of assets to offer the Mavs. After falling to the Philadelphia 76ers 116-108 on national TV, Dallas is now 37-40.

Doncic is averaging 32.9 points per game this season. No player has missed the playoffs with a scoring average of more than 33 points since Tiny Archibald, 50 ...

[Luka Doncic](/nba/players/2900426/luka-doncic/) and the [Dallas Mavericks](https://www.cbssports.com/nba/teams/DAL/dallas-mavericks/) are getting dangerously close to missing the playoffs. The wrong side of history Doncic can land on further highlights just how bad it would be. They've gone from fifth to 11th in the West in that span, with their playoff odds dropping from 58% to 15% per SportsLine simulations. [Heat](https://www.cbssports.com/nba/teams/MIA/miami-heat/) and [Hawks](https://www.cbssports.com/nba/teams/ATL/atlanta-hawks/). They are 8-13 since Irving debuted, including a 4-8 mark when both Doncic and Irving play. They have the same record as the [Oklahoma City Thunder](https://www.cbssports.com/nba/teams/OKC/oklahoma-city-thunder/), who currently hold the final play-in spot. No player has missed the playoffs with a scoring average of more than 33 points since Tiny Archibald, 50 years ago. Doncic is averaging 32.9 points per game this season. We've seen countless superstars leave for less consequential reasons than missing the playoffs. When you flirt with missing the playoffs completely after collapsing following a trade for another star, we're talking potential disaster. [76ers](https://www.cbssports.com/nba/teams/PHI/philadelphia-76ers/)finished 38-44. At worst, losing presumably impacts Doncic's desire to play for Dallas long-term.

Nobody is going to mistake Luka Doncic for Gary Payton or prime Kawhi Leonard on the defensive end of the ball, but at least one scout thinks he's ...

That’s my prediction.”](https://clutchpoints.com/nba-rumors-lebron-james-draymond-green-join-luka-doncic-mavs-bill-simmons)-via [Clutch Points](https://clutchpoints.com/nba-rumors-lebron-james-draymond-green-join-luka-doncic-mavs-bill-simmons)/ March 30, 2023 Simmons recently predicted that LeBron James and Draymond Green will join Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving with the Mavs at some point down the road, per the Bill Simmons podcast, clip via Kenny Bybee. Another energetic half for the Mavs as they lead in Philly 62-57 They built a lead as large as 12 before a late 76er push. He has a level of skill that wasn’t there the last time i saw him – I don’t hate how Luka Samanic has played tonight. [10:18 PM](https://twitter.com/SteinmetzNBA/status/1641263568992735232) [Matt Steinmetz](https://twitter.com/SteinmetzNBA)@ [SteinmetzNBA](https://twitter.com/SteinmetzNBA) Why would you want to play with Luka? Pick a star to play with … [ESPN’s Tim MacMahon appeared on the Lowe Post podcast Tuesday and said a scout called Doncic “the worst transition defender in the history of basketball”](https://bleacherreport.com/articles/10070462-luka-doncic-called-worst-transition-defender-in-history-of-basketball-by-nba-scout)(7:40 mark). Kyrie Irving, Luka Doncic and Jason Kidd all said they believe Dallas has enough time to get things sorted out and make the playoffs. All NBA is a wrap. SGA is the #2 vote getter among all guards.

NBA fans really want to know what Joel Embiid and Luka Doncic's postgame conversation was about on Wednesday night.

The Dallas Mavericks have entered a crisis. After trading for Kyrie Irving to pair up with Luka Doncic, the Mavericks' struggles have reached a boiling ...

A more reasonable proposal would likely center around two of the Josh Giddey/Jalen Williams/Chet Holmgren trio, as many draft picks as possible and filler. The recent struggles — both on and off the court for the Mavericks — have caused people to ponder Doncic’s long-term future in Dallas. After trading for Kyrie Irving to pair up with Luka Doncic, the Mavericks’ struggles have reached a boiling point.