Is Luka Doncic playing tonight against LA Clippers? Latest on Mavericks star's status for Game 3 (April 26)

Luka Doncic will play against the LA Clippers in Game 3. Doncic is not on the Dallas Mavericks' injury report. The MVP candidate has been healthy entering this postseason, and it's showing in his game. Doncic has been impactful on both ends in the opening two games.

He shunned critics questioning his defense in Game 2 to lead the Mavericks to a 96-93 win, helping them tie the series and steal homecourt advantage ahead of Games 3 and 4 in Dallas. The Mavericks hope to make the most of this advantage and defend homecourt successfully, allowing them to take a 3-1 advantage back to LA.

Luka Doncic's injury history this season

Doncic dealt with various injuries this season that saw him miss 12 games. He dealt with calf, quad, hamstring, nose, elbow, knee and Achilles injuries. However, none were long-term issues that forced him to miss significant time. Doncic played through those and rested occasionally to recover from a few ailments.

The Mavericks went 4-8 in his absence. They struggled to secure wins without him, especially earlier in the year, as they were yet to make significant roster upgrades, which came after the trade deadline.

Luka Doncic Stats vs. LA Clippers

The LA Clippers have been one of Luka Doncic's favorite opponents. Since his playoffs debut against them in 2020, Doncic has dominated Kawhi Leonard and Co., averaging 32.6 points, 8.3 rebounds, and 7.4 assists in 18 regular season games. Doncic has averaged 33.4 ppg, 8.9 rpg and 9.3 apg in 15 NBA playoff games against the Clippers.

He managed 34.0 ppg, 6.0 rpg and 6.7 apg in three regular-season games this year. Doncic dropped 32 and 34 points in Games 1 and 2, respectively. The Slovenian also put up a massive performance defensively, holding the Clippers to 2 of 17 shooting as a primary defender.

How to watch LA Clippers vs. Dallas Mavericks Game 3?

ESPN owns the broadcasting rights for LA Clippers vs. Dallas Mavericks Game 3. Meanwhile, Bally Sports SoCal and Bally Sports will provide local coverage. Fans outside the US can catch the contest online via NBA League Pass. Tipoff is at 8:00 PM ET at American Airlines Center.

The Mavericks are -180 favorites to win Game 3 with a -4.5 spread. Homecourt advantage and the Mavericks' bounce-back performance in Game 2 provide decent evidence they might be the better team this series, especially with Kawhi Leonard just coming off an injury and not in rhythm.