It sure looked like Luka Doncic was hampered by a neck strain in the Mavericks’ 106-81 blowout loss to the Clippers in Game 4, but he isn’t using the injury as an excuse for his poor play.
Doncic turned in one of his worst shooting performances in weeks, going 9-for-24 from the field, for 19 points. He wasn’t really spreading the ball around, either, with only six assists.
The Mavericks can only go as far as Luka takes them, which is why they got blown out in Game 4. And in watching the game, it was clear he was hampered by the injury, as it prevented him from turning his head quickly during the game, limiting his vision.
But Doncic isn’t using the injury as an excuse for his bad game.
“I don’t think that matters right now,” Doncic said. “… I played terrible, so we just got to move on to the next one.”
All eyes will be on Doncic in Game 5. Lucky for him, the extra day of rest should help him recover.
