DALLAS (CBSDFW.COM) — The Dallas Mavericks and Utah Jazz will collide for the third time on Thursday as both teams look to take the playoff series lead. Whether they’ll have all-star guard Luka Dončić for game 3, however, remains uncertain.
Dončić participated in team activities Wednesday and said he’s made a lot of progress with medical staff to heal from his left calf strain, which he suffered earlier this month.
“I remember the first couple days, I couldn’t even shoot. I was in a boot” Dončić said. “After one day, I couldn’t shoot the basketball and I was nervous.”
He mentioned there was some pain initially, but feels good now. If the guard is cleared to play Thursday, he’ll push to be in the game as much as possible.
“If there’s no risk, I don’t want to play limited minutes,” he said.
Head coach Jason Kidd said if his minutes will be determined by medical staff and Dončić himself.
“He’s doing everything,” Kidd said. “He’s going in the right direction. We’ll see how he feels tomorrow [Thursday] and hopefully it’s a green light. If it’s not, we’re prepared to go without him.”
Tip-off for game 3 is set for 8:00 P.M. Thursday in Utah.
Watch Dončić’ full comments above.