Dallas Mavericks star forward Luka Doncic shook off his sprained right ankle and returned to the starting lineup Thursday against the San Antonio Spurs.
Doncic missed the Mavs’ last four games and was listed as questionable before Thursday’s matchup because of the ankle injury. He was a full participant in Dallas’ practice Tuesday.
Doncic sustained the injury during the Mavericks’ double-overtime loss to the Miami Heat on Dec. 14. He stepped on Heat guard Kendrick Nunn’s foot and rolled his ankle while driving to the basket.
The 2018 NBA Rookie of the Year left the court during a timeout with 10:20 left in the first quarter after being unable to get back on defense. He limped to the locker room for further evaluation and X-rays came back negative, according to the team.
The Mavericks posted a 2-2 record in Doncic’s absence. Before his injury, he ranked third in the league with 29.3 points and 8.9 assists per game, and he also averaged 9.6 rebounds per contest.
Doncic guided Dallas to a 102-98 victory over the Spurs on Thursday night. He recorded a game-high 24 points with 10 rebounds and eight assists in 33 minutes.
The Mavericks (20-10) will play the Golden State Warriors (8-24) on Saturday night.
