Latest injury blow to NBA superstar will affect end of Knicks road trip
The New York Knicks picked up their fourth-straight win in their first of five road games on Wednesday in Phoenix. Jalen Brunson looked more like Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns continued to dominate. Devin Booker was the only member of the Suns' Big Three to play, as Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal were sidelined with injuries.
It turns out that another one of the Knicks' stops on their road trip will come against a team without their star player. No, this isn't about Nikola Jokić, who has missed the past three Nuggets games for personal reasons. It's about one of Jokić's best friends in the league.
On Thursday morning, ESPN's Shams Charania reported that Luka Dončić injured his wrist and will be re-evaluated in one week.
Doncic and the Mavericks cruised to a 132-91 NBA Cup win on Tuesday over the Pelicans. Dončić scored a game-high 26 points on 10-of-16 shooting from the field. Dallas' 8-7 record would put the team toward the top of the East, but the Mavericks are No. 10 in a stacked Western Conference.
Mavericks star Luka Doncic set to miss Knicks game with wrist injury
On Wednesday, New York will stop in Dallas for the team's fourth game on their road trip. Charania reported that Dončić will be re-evaluated in one week, but that doesn't mean he'll be cleared to play then.
The Mavericks star will likely miss the game against the Knicks on November 27, a matchup broadcast on ESPN. Dallas is Brunson's old stomping grounds, and the Mavericks are coming off an NBA Finals run. Playing Dallas with Dončić and Kyrie Irving would be a good test for New York, but fans will have to wait to see that when the Mavericks travel to MSG. There's no guarantee both teams will be at full strength for that game.
Dončić is one of many NBA stars out with an injury. Paul George hyperextended the same knee he hurt in the preseason on Wednesday in the Sixers' loss to the Grizzlies. The injuries are piling up.
The Knicks are dealing with their own injuries, including Miles McBride, who has missed the past few games due to knee inflammation. New York is also without defensive anchors Mitchell Robinson and Precious Achiuwa. It seems unlikely that Achiuwa will be available to play against Dallas, but hopefully, McBride will.