Despite the ongoing chatter about the Dallas Mavericks and their 2022-23 NBA season, Mavericks star Luka Dončić said he will play against the Kings on Wednesday.
After acquiring star guard Kyrie Irving from the Brooklyn Nets back in February, Dallas’ playoff push hasn’t gone as planned. With three games remaining in the regular season, the Mavericks have a 37-42 record and sit in the No. 11 seed in the Western Conference, a half-game behind the 10th-place Oklahoma City Thunder and final play-in spot.
Since Irving joined forces with Dončić in Dallas, the team has gone 9-16 and 1-7 over their last eight games.
On Monday, The Athletic’s Shams Charania reported that the Mavericks were “seriously considering” the possibility of shutting down Dončić and Irving for the rest of the season.
But on Tuesday, Dončić made it clear that that wasn’t going to happen.
"No," Dončić told reporters firmly when asked if the Mavericks were shutting him and Irving down. "I'm playing tomorrow. When there's still a chance, I'm going to play. So that's not going to happen yet."
Dallas’ final three games come against the Kings on Wednesday, Chicago Bulls on Friday and San Antonio Spurs on Sunday, all at home.
Like Dončić, the Kings have something to prove during the final week of the regular season.
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Sure, they’ve snapped a 16-season playoff drought and exceeded any and all preseason expectations, but they’re still itching for more. And if Dončić and Irving are active for Wednesday's matchup, that job becomes much more of a challenge for Sacramento. The season series between the Kings and Mavericks currently is split (1-1).
Dončić (thigh recovery) and Irving (foot recovery) are both probable for Wednesday. But if Dončić has a say, he'll be out on the floor ready to go.