Mavericks-Thunder preview: Luka ruled out in matchup with Gilgeous-Alexander

OKLAHOMA CITY – It was going to be a dream matchup for TNT, a nationally televised NBA battle between two MVP candidates who are capable of epic performances on any given night.

Unfortunately, it won’t happen, at least not from the Mavericks’ end.

While the Oklahoma City Thunder and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander will welcome the Mavericks into what is no doubt going to be a hostile setting, Luka Dončić won’t be part of the intrigue.

The Mavericks’ superstar point guard will sit this one out with soreness in his left hamstring, according to multiple reports. He left Wednesday’s game against Golden State at American Airlines Center after playing briefly in the fourth quarter. When the Mavericks increased their lead to 22 points, he departed and didn’t return.

With the Mavericks getting two days off after this before returning to action Sunday at AAC against the defending champion Denver Nuggets, it’s sensible to give the owner of seven consecutive triple-doubles before Wednesday a chance to recover for several days.

But it clearly will make the Mavericks’ task against the Thunder that much tougher.

Gilgeous-Alexander, like Luka, is 25 and has the meat of his career in front of him. And, like Luka, he’s in his sixth season and putting up outrageous numbers.

At 31.1 points, 5.6 rebounds, 6.4 assists and a league-best 2.1 steals per game, nobody is arguing that the 6-5 guard deserves to be in the MVP conversation, albeit probably a peg below Nikola Jokic and Jayson Tatum.

Again, like Luka.

But give the Mavericks credit for erring on the side of caution with Dončić. Only 16 games remain. The Mavericks are in the heat of a playoff battle. They are going to be in, at the very least, the play-in tournament. And they want their superstar to be as healthy as possible for those games.

If it means sitting a random (albeit important) March game that figures to be a tough one to win even under the best of circumstances, so be it.

Here’s what else to look for as the Mavericks try to win their fifth in a row:

• The incredible perfection of Daniel Gafford seems to have no end. The Mavericks’ center now has made 33 consecutive shots over five games and needs three more to pass Wilt Chamberlain for the longest streak of made shots in NBA history. He was 5-of-5 against the Warriors on Wednesday and his teammates are giving him lots of point-blank opportunities in the pick-and-roll portion of the offense. But don’t expect to hear a lot of Mavericks talking about it. Not directly to Gafford, at least. “I think it’s the baseball no-hitter streak,” coach Jason Kidd said. “You look at what he’s doing right now . . . and not just Luka, but a lot of his teammates are looking for him. And he’s finishing plays at a high rate right now. I don’t know if anybody’s in that locker room talking about where he stands and who he’s chasing. But it’s a pretty cool thing.”
• The Mavericks have won four in a row after losing five of six. They have gone 12-5 since early February, but their positioning in the Western Conference has been virtually unchanged, which speaks to the level of competition alongside them in the West.
• This will be a quick trip north of the (Oklahoma) border and they have two full days off before Sunday’s match against Denver at American Airlines Center.
• The Thunder are in a major battle with Denver and Minnesota for the top three spots in the Western Conference. They are separated by one game and No. 3 Minnesota is three games clear of the fourth-place Los Angeles Clippers. It’s not a sure thing, but OKC appears like it will be solidly in the top three in the West playoff picture.
• In addition to Gilgeous-Alexander, the Thunder have an assortment of other dangerous weapons, including rookie center Chet Holmgren, who is averaging 16.8 points, 7.8 rebounds and 2.5 blocks and would be a lock for rookie of the year if it wasn’t for some dude named Victor Wembanyama. They also have Jalen Williams (19 points per game) and Lu Dort, who is one of the best on-ball defenders in the NBA and averages 10.8 points and shoots 42 percent from three-point land.
• The Thunder have forged their glittery record in spite of an off season from Josh Giddey. The Australian had a terrific start to his career in his first two seasons, but has tailed off this season, averaging only 11.5 points, more than five below last season.

MAVERICKS (38-28) at OKLAHOMA CITY THUNDER (45-20)

• When/where: 9 p.m., Thursday, Paycom Center, Oklahoma City.
• TV: TNT.
• Radio: 97.1 FM The Freak; 99.1 FM Zona MX (Spanish).

X: @ESefko