After two straight losses for just the second time this season, the Boston Celtics could use an easier game after a scheduling quirk left them with a five-day gap between games.
The time off will help a banged-up Marcus Smart and Robert Williams III return to health, but the path to their next win just got easier with news that baby-faced assassin Luka Doncic will likely miss Boston’s looming match against the Dallas Mavericks Dec. 18.
Doncic, who has emerged as one of the youngest MVP candidates in league history this season after some weight loss and skill development pushed the Slovenian sensation into the stratosphere in 2019-20.
Then, after lighting up Mexico City in the first of two tilts south of the border, the 20-year-old stepped on the foot of another rising star, the Miami Heat’s Kendrick Nunn, while slashing to the cup Saturday night, and managed to sprain his ankle in the process.
For Doncic and an ascendent Mavericks, the injury is a blessing in disguise, as there were concerns it could be a high ankle sprain or worse, potentially requiring an extended rehabilitation as we are seeing with the Sacramento Kings’ De’Aaron Fox.
While it’s unfortunate the two unexpectedly excellent franchises will not meet at full strength, at least both will likely be healthy soon if not on the night of their next meeting.
In a vicious West and hungry top of the East, both teams will need their best players available to hang onto their respective positions.
While we might not get the flash and fanfare that has accompanied the nascent star as Dallas has made its rounds, a consolation prize is there for the taking.
Wednesday night should be a chance for the Celtics to pad their resumé a bit, and grab a tighter hold on having one of the top seeds by season’s end.
