Why is Luka Doncic not playing tonight against Detroit Pistons? Latest injury update for Mavericks star (April 12)

The Dallas Mavericks will have to face off against the Detroit Pistons without Luka Doncic after he was ruled out due to an injury to his left ankle. He will be joining eight-time All-Star Kyrie Irving (left hamstring) and rookie Dereck Lively II on the list of Mavs players who are not suiting up against the Pistons.

The last time that Doncic was unavailable was against the Golden State Warriors back on Apr. 5. He then played the next three games between then and now.

Against the Houston Rockets on Apr. 7, he grabbed 37 points and had 12 assists. He followed that up with a triple-double performance (39 points, 12 rebounds, 10 assists) against the Charlotte Hornets on Apr. 9. Then, in their last game against the Miami Heat, he scored 29 and had a near triple-double as well as nine dimes and boards each.

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Who will start in place of Luka Doncic tonight?

With Luka Doncic sitting out due to left ankle soreness, head coach Jason Kidd has opted to start Australian guard Dante Exum.

Exum has been the primary backup at the point guard position for Luka Doncic but has been inconsistent in that role. In the team's last two games, he has only scored a combined five points. Three against the Miami Heat and two against the Charlotte Hornets.

However, in the two other games before that, he scored in double figures. 14 against the Rockets and 11 against the Warriors when he started in place of Luka Doncic.

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The Dallas Mavericks are only one game behind the LA Clippers

Doncic and the Mavs are playoff-bound. However, their final seeding has not yet been determined. With the Mavs being only a game behind the LA Clippers, Exum hopes to step up in Luka Doncic's absence.

Securing a win tonight will allow them to tie the Clippers' record of 51 wins. However, that also depends on how the game between the Clippers and the Utah Jazz goes tonight.

With the Mavs already being sure to make the postseason, giving Doncic and Kyrie Irving time to rest so they'll be playoff-ready is a wise choice. However, if their respective replacements do not step up, then they could pay for it by starting as a lower seed.