Why is Luka Doncic not playing tonight against Atlanta Hawks? Closer look at 5x NBA All-Star's absence from game (Nov. 25)

On Thursday, Shams Charania reported that Luka Doncic suffered a wrist injury that will keep him out of action. As he gets ready to be re-evaluated, the Dallas Mavericks still find themselves without the services of their star player.

On Monday night, the Mavericks are slated to take on Trae Young and the Atlanta Hawks. Per the injury report, Doncic has already been ruled out as he continues to recover from his wrist injury. Based on the original reporting, the All-Star guard will be re-evaluated later this week.

Before getting injured, Luka Doncic was one of the top all-around performers in the NBA. In his first 14 games, he averaged 28.1 points, 7.6 rebounds and 7.6 assists.

Monday's matchup with the Hawks will be the Mavericks' third matchup since Doncic was diagnosed with this injury. In their first game without him, they were able to take down Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets. However, they suffered an overtime loss to the Miami Heat in their last matchup.

Between being without Doncic and being on the second leg of a back-to-back, the Mavs have their work cut out for them. As the lone star in the lineup, Kyrie Irving will be tasked with trying to get Dallas back in the win column.

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Kyrie Irving opens up on close bond with Luka Doncic on and off the court

Since joining the Dallas Mavericks midway through the 2022-23 season, Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving have had a lot of success together on the court. Following some recent comments from the former All-Star and champion, it appears their bond extends far beyond basketball.

After the Dallas Mavericks' overtime loss to the Miami Heat, Irving was asked about Doncic and the message he sent to him amid his latest injury. He responded by saying he considers him family and wants the team back to full strength soon.

"That's a genuine love there man," Irving said. "I consider him part of my family, part of my tribe. We miss him obviously but it's got to be next man up mentality."

With Luka Doncic on the sidelines, Irving has had to step up more on the offensive end. He did a little bit of everything in the win against the Nuggets, finishing with 19 points, six rebounds and six assists. Irving followed that up by doing everything he could to try and pull out a win against the Heat. In 29 minutes of action, he recorded a stat line of 27 points, four rebounds and six assists.

During his previous stops in his career, Irving has experienced being "the guy" for his team on a nightly basis. This is big for the Mavericks as they navigate without Doncic for the time being.