The Dallas Mavericks will receive a late Christmas gift on Thursday — the return of Luka Doncic.
The team’s second-year star was a full participant in practice on Christmas Eve and, according to Tim MacMahon of ESPN, the Mavericks expect him to return against the San Antonio Spurs tonight (8 ET, TNT).
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Coach Rick Carlisle confirmed the news during an interview on a Dallas sports radio show on Thursday afternoon.
Doncic has been sidelined since he rolled his ankle against the Miami Heat on Dec. 14. He was diagnosed with a lateral right ankle sprain and expected to miss a couple of weeks.
“I’m feeling good,” Doncic said after practice on Tuesday. “Just taking care of it. [There’s] a lot of things that we have to do, and we’re just taking care of it. We’ll see how it progresses, and we’ll see if I play.”
The Mavericks have kept their heads above water with Doncic sidelined, posting a record of 2-2 on the road against four of the top teams in the East, including wins over the Bucks and 76ers.
Doncic has been playing at an MVP-level this season with averages of 29.3 points, 9.6 rebounds and 8.9 assists over 25 games.
In addition to his potential return to the floor, the 20-year-old from Slovenia officially signed with Jordan Brand on Thursday. The contract is expected to be a five-year deal, according to ESPN.
Family flies together. #JUMPMAN pic.twitter.com/SnXhgNvk0j
— Jordan (@Jumpman23) December 26, 2019
