“Optimism” for Luka Doncic return for Game 3 in Utah, per report

In the news we’ve all been waiting oh so patiently to hear, Shams Charania of The Athletic reports that there’s some hope Luka Doncic plays in Game 3 in Utah Thursday night.

Of course, this is a massive “IF” situation. There’s a lot that can happen before Luka Doncic is cleared to play by the Dallas Mavericks medical staff, but “optimism” is a word we’re all going to lean on very hard in the coming days.

Doncic’s been seen working out, gingerly of course, before games and was animated and moving around on the bench in both Game 1 and Game 2 of the series, even getting some shots up during game stoppages. He’s itching to get on to the court, that much is obvious. But the Mavericks have to do what’s best for Doncic, because his health is directly related to the long term health of the franchise.

The Mavericks taking a 1-1 series tie with the Jazz Monday night brings a sense of inevitability for Mavericks fans about the series, but Dallas did not win either contest in Utah this season. Luka Doncic giving the Mavericks even a little something would be a huge boost to morale as they head into one of the most intense playoff environments in the NBA.

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