Luka Dončić Harm Has NBA Twitter Nervous as Mavs Lose to CJ McCollum, Pelicans

Wednesday was a day to overlook for Luka Dončić.

Not solely did his Dallas Mavericks lose 113-106 to the New Orleans Pelicans in a Western Convention showdown at Smoothie King Heart, however he additionally left with a thigh harm within the third quarter and by no means returned.

Dallas trailed by as many as 19 factors and performed from behind for almost all of the sport, though it made one closing push with out its celebrity and closed to inside three within the closing 5 minutes.

But the Pelicans had CJ McCollum on their facet, and he took over within the closing stretch by scoring 16 of his staff’s closing 19 factors to safe the win. Purple-hot taking pictures from Tim Hardaway Jr. and Kyrie Irving through the comeback try turned heads, however they have been unable to match McCollum.

The loss wasn’t the one worrisome improvement for a Mavericks staff that’s now 3-7 in its final 10. Dončić’s harm additionally led to some response from social media:

Dončić wasn’t the one star energy lacking Wednesday, as Zion Williamson (hamstring) remained out for New Orleans. What’s extra, Brandon Ingram exited earlier than halftime with an ankle harm and did not return, which is one purpose the Mavericks have been capable of make one final cost earlier than finally dropping.

There wasn’t a single play that led to Dončić’s harm. Relatively, he seemed to be laboring at occasions from the very begin and had bother shaking Herbert Jones’ robust protection on his strategy to simply 4-of-14 taking pictures from the sector and 1-of-5 from deep.

Irving did what he might after his operating mate exited and completed with 27 factors, nevertheless it was the McCollum present in crunch time.

Dallas will look to bounce again with a highway recreation in opposition to the Memphis Grizzlies on Saturday.