Potential Disaster In Dallas As Luka Doncic Suffers Ankle Injury

 That sound you heard just three minutes into the Dallas Mavericks' game with the Phoenix Suns Thursday night was the city of Dallas—and the whole basketball world—gasping, as Luka Doncic rolled his ankle and exited the game for good.

He had immediate x-rays on the ankle, which fortunately proved negative. In the best news possible, Adrian Wojnarowski is reporting today that Luka is expected to be day-to-day with what's described as a "mild sprain."

The Mavericks, of course, would be lost without Luka for any extended period of time. On this night, Spencer Dinwiddie stepped up big-time to carry the team to victory, posting a huge, season-high 36 points. 

He had five threes, shot 11-of-18 from the floor, and also added nine assists and six rebounds, in leading the Mavs to the  99-95 win. 

“I don’t know if he’ll be back next game, or if he’ll miss a couple or something like that,” Dinwiddie said of Luka after the game. “But it ain’t no cause for where we’re like, ‘Oh no, we’re about to go on a 10-game stretch without LD.’ He’s going to heal up nicely. He’s a young kid. Although he likes to think he’s old, he’s not.”

Doncic was, hours earlier, named a starter for the All-Star game. He's averaging a career-high 33 points per game, with 8.9 rebounds, 8.4 assists, 1.5 steals, and shooting 35.1% from long distance. 

Yes, they got by without him on this night, but any long-term absence would be devastating to the Mavs' standing in the bunched-up middle of the West, where they currently sit 6th, at 26-24.