Why is Luka Doncic wearing mask today vs Nets? Mavericks star guard's injury update & more explored

Luka Doncic and the Dallas Mavericks will take on the Brooklyn Nets at the Barclays Center on Tuesday. However, prior to their matchup, Docic was listed as questionable.

On Monday, Doncic suffered from a nasal contusion after their 118-102 victory over the Philadelphia 76ers. Despite dealing with the contusion, he was upgraded from questionable.

As per multiple sources, Doncic will play against the Nets but will need to wear a mask for safety measures.

Despite being officially listed in the lineup, it's unclear if Doncic would last all four quarters.

While the Mavericks have Kyrie Irving to rely on, the team wouldn't want to miss having Doncic by their side. He has been performing well since dropping 73 points against the Atlanta Hawks on January 26. He followed it up with two games with 40+ points against the Orlando Magic and the Milwaukee Bucks.

Luka Doncic and other players who have played games wearing a mask in 2023-24 season

Luka Doncic joins the list of players who've worn masks in the 2023-24 NBA season. Two examples of other NBA stars to sport the protective gear are Rui Hachimura of the LA Lakers and Bradley Beal of the Phoenix Suns.

During the first half of this season, Rui Hachimura suffered from a broken nose. Lakers fans were initially concerned about his availability for the team, however, Hachimura managed to come back in only a couple of days. It's worth noting that Rui didn't come back fully recovered. It just so happens that he was able to play through his injury and putting on a mask would help protect him from any other potential harm.

Bradley Beal met a similar fate after suffering from a fractured nose. The Phoenix Suns star recently came back from his ankle injury, only to be met with another after colliding with Myles Turner's elbow when the Suns faced the Indiana Pacers last January 26. Fortunately, Beal wasn't sidelined, however, he was forced to wear a mask to guard his nose.

Seeing how these two players have managed to play through their injuries, it's safe to assume that Luka Doncic wouldn't struggle to do so as well. We might see a change of pace from the Slovenian superstar, but other than that, expect to see more of Luka "Magic".