Dallas Mavericks star guard Luka Doncic is expected to play Monday’s game against the Houston Rockets, according to coach Rick Carlisle, while James Harden is listed as available.
Doncic sat out Sunday’s game loss to the Chicago Bulls with a left quadriceps contusion. The Mavericks put up points but struggled overall without Doncic. A 32-point fourth quarter pushed the Bulls to a 118-108 victory.
Harden missed Saturday’s win over the Kings with a sprained right ankle.
Doncic, a first-team All-NBA selection last season, has gotten off to a relatively slow start, as his scoring (24.4 points per game), rebounds (7.6) and assists (6.4) through five games are all down significantly from his 2019-20 averages.
Doncic, who is shooting 43.2% from the floor and 16.1% from 3-point range, has acknowledged that his conditioning needs to improve after he reported to training camp carrying several extra pounds.
Harden, meanwhile, is averaging 37 points and 11 assists while shooting 52.5% from the field and 45.5% from 3 in three games this season.
