Is Luka Doncic playing tonight against Sacramento Kings? Latest on 5x NBA All-Star's status (January 27)

Luka Doncic's status ahead of the Sacramento Kings-Dallas Mavericks game is one of the key talking points. It's the second night of a back-to-back for the Mavericks. Doncic is coming off a career-high 73-point night in which he played 45 minutes.

Doncic wasn't on the injury report for Friday's contest against the Atlanta Hawks, but the Mavericks have a quick turnaround, traveling in 24 hours to play on Saturday night.

Doncic has played in back-to-backs this season, but he's had an injury-riddled stretch of late, which raises concerns about his availability for Saturday's game.

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What happened to Luka Doncic?

Doncic has been on the Mavericks' injury report for various ailments. He initially dealt with a calf issue before a quad injury and then an ankle issue. His last injury was a back problem. Doncic has missed a combined seven games due to a few of these injuries.

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Luka Doncic stats vs. Sacramento Kings

Doncic has played 14 games against the Sacramento Kings. He's averaging 27.4 points, 10.1 rebounds and 8.2 assists per game. Doncic holds a 5-14 record against the Kings, though. He played one game against the Kings this season on Nov. 19, which the Mavericks lost 129-113.

Doncic had 25 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists in that game, but he shot only 36.8% from the field. The Mavericks' role players' streaky form can't be relied upon, so Doncic's presence is a must for Dallas to win this game.

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How to watch Sacramento Kings vs. Dallas Mavericks?

The Sacramento Kings vs. Dallas Mavericks game will be covered by NBC Sports Sacramento and Bally Sports Southwest (Dallas). With a subscription, fans outside local regions and international viewers can watch the game online via NBA Pass.

Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving could be among the marquee Mavericks players in action. Their availability for the game is yet to be confirmed. For the Kings, De'Aaron Fox and Domantas Sabonis will be the key players. The game will begin at 9:00 PM ET at American Airlines Center, the Mavericks' homecourt.

The Kings enter this game with a 25-18 record, while the Mavericks are 25-20. The Kings are fifth in the West, while Dallas is eighth. It's the second meeting of the season between the teams. Sacramento holds a 1-0 season series advantage after claiming a win in their first game against Luka Doncic and Co.

Click here to see the Kings-Mavericks starting lineups for January 27.