Luka Doncic scored 42 points with 10 rebounds but it was not enough for the Dallas Mavericks who suffered their sixth loss from their past seven games 129-122 to the Miami Heat on Saturday.

The win was much needed for Miami, who improved to 41-37 to be seventh in the East, with Jimmy Butler top scoring with 35 points and 12 assists at FTX Arena.

The Heat snapped their three-game skid but it left the Mavs' perilous playoff hopes worse off, falling to a 37-41 record, remaining 11th in the West.

Dallas are a game back from Oklahoma City (38-40) in the race for the final play-in spot, with the Thunder owning the head-to-head tiebreaker too.

Doncic tried his best with 42 points on 17-of-25 shooting with two triples along with 10 rebounds, eight assists and two steals. That was the Slovenian's 14th 40-point game this season.

Kyrie Irving added 23 points and eight assists, while Tim Hardaway Jr drained six three-pointers in his 31 points with six rebound and seven assists.

Yet all that was not enough for Dallas who shot at 61 per cent as a team, after Miami piled on 44 first-quarter points, leaving the Mavs to lament their defense. Miami's 76 first-half points was the third most in franchise history.

Center Cody Zeller offered good support to Butler with 20 points and eight rebounds, while Kevin Love and Max Strus both added 18 points and Tyler Herro contributed 15.

Ingram stars as Pels continue playoffs push

The New Orleans Pelicans moved above the Los Angeles Lakers and into the seven spot in the Western Conference with a crucial 122-114 over the Los Angeles Clippers.

Kawhi Leonard scored 40 points for the Clippers, who fall to sixth in the West, but Brandon Ingram maintained his fine form with a game-winning display.

Ingram scored 36 points on 13-of-23 shooting with four rebounds and eight assists, while Jonas Valanciunas added 23 points with 12 rebounds.

Leonard shot 15-of-28 from the field with four-of-eight from beyond the arc with eight rebounds and four assists, while Russell Westbrook contributed 24 points with nine assists.

The Pels have won seven of their past eight games to shoot into playoffs contention in the West with a 40-38 record, while the Clippers are 41-38.

The Dallas Mavericks' playoff hopes suffered another setback after James Harden inspired the Philadelphia 76ers' fourth-quarter charge on Wednesday.

The Mavs, who had lost seven of their previous 10 games coming into the contest, led 91-89 at three-quarter time at Wells Fargo Center before the home side rallied to triumph 116-108, clinching their 50th win of the season.

Harden provided the assists for all of Philadelphia's points during a 10-0 run that flipped the contest, condemning the Mavs to a 37-40 record and leaving them in danger of missing the playoffs and play-in tournament in the Western Conference. Dallas failed to score in the final 3:18 of the game.

Joel Embiid returned from a one-game, calf-injury-enforced absence to boost his MVP aspirations with 25 points and nine rebounds, while Harden had 15 points and 12 assists.

Harden's partnership with Embiid was on full show, with the pair holding the NBA's best single-season record over the past 25 years for assists by one player to another, averaging 4.8 per game, ahead of Sacramento Kings duo Rajon Rondo and DeMarcus Cousins (4.0 in the 2015-16 season).

For the Mavs, Luka Doncic had 24 points, 10 rebounds and eight assists, while Kyrie Irving added 23 points.

Philadelphia's 50th win from their 76th game of the campaign marks the fewest amount of games required to reach that mark in franchise history since 2001.

The 50-26 76ers are third in the East, behind the Milwaukee Bucks (55-21) and the Boston Celtics (52-24).

The Bucks routed the Indiana Pacers 149-136 led by Jrue Holiday's career-high 51 points and a Giannis Antetokounmpo triple-double.

Kings end NBA's longest playoff drought

Sacramento ended their 17-year playoffs wait, the longest drought in NBA history, thanks to a 120-80 victory over the Portland Trail Blazers.

The Kings pulled away with a lopsided 70-34 second half, led by Domantas Sabonis (15 points and 12 rebounds) and De'Aaron Fox (18 points and six assists), while Keegan Murray passed Donovan Mitchell for the most threes made by a rookie (188) in his 13 points.

Sacramento clinching their playoff spot came amid a chaotic night in the West, with Jalen Williams' buzzer-beating tip-in earning the 10th-placed Oklahoma City Thunder a 107-106 win over the Detroit Pistons. OKC occupy the final play-in spot.

Russell Westbrook scored 36 points as the fifth-placed Los Angeles Clippers ended the second-placed Memphis Grizzlies' seven-game winning streak with a 141-132 victory, while the taunts continued as the Los Angeles Lakers beat the Chicago Bulls 121-110.

Durant returns as Suns firm up fourth seed

Kevin Durant made his long-awaited home debut as he returned from a 10-game absence due to a sprained ankle, but he was rusty as the Phoenix Suns overcame the Minnesota Timberwolves 107-100.

Durant shot five-of-18 from the field for 16 points with eight rebounds and four assists. Devin Booker top-scored for the Suns with 29 points on eight-of-18 shooting from the field.

The 2014 MVP Durant shot two-of-four from three-point range, both in the fourth quarter, holding off the Timberwolves who drew level in the final period, with the win helping the Suns improve to 41-35 to sit fourth in the West.

After Joel Embiid's calf injury robbed the NBA of a matchup between him and MVP rival Nikola Jokic on Monday, his Philadelphia 76ers turn their attention to another superstar opponent in Luka Doncic and the Dallas Mavericks.

Embiid was accused by some of "ducking" the Denver Nuggets' two-time MVP Jokic, who inspired Denver to a 116-111 victory over the Sixers with his 29th triple-double of the season.

The Sixers were also without James Harden because of a sore left Achilles.

Whether Embiid and Harden will be back in the fold for the visit of the Mavs remains to be seen, but what is beyond doubt is that the Sixers will be facing a man on a mission in Doncic.

Doncic is aiming to drag the Mavericks into the playoffs and, having seen his 16th technical foul and a one-game suspension rescinded prior to Monday's game with the Indiana Pacers, the Slovenian subsequently starred with 25 points, 7 rebounds and 6 assists to end Dallas' four-game losing streak.

He has averaged 31.1 points per game in March, a month he began by putting up 42 in a home win over the Sixers.

Despite his best efforts, the Mavs are still on the outside looking in as they seek a place in the Western Conference play-in tournament. With a 37-39 record, they are the 11th seed, but are just games behind the Minnesota Timberwolves, who are in position to enter the playoffs as the sixth seed.

The Mavs have six games with which to claw their way in to either the play-in or the playoffs outright. Ending the month how they began it against the current third seed in the East would be a big step towards securing a spot in the postseason.

PIVOTAL PERFORMERS

Philadelphia 76ers - Joel Embiid

With Embiid on the court, the Sixers average 118.2 points per 100 possessions compared to 111.5 without. Defensively, they concede 108 points per 100 possessions with Embiid and 112.3 without. That's a point differential of plus 10.2 when they have their MVP contender compared to minus 0.8 when he is absent.

In other words, he is worth 11 points per 100 possessions. It's obvious to say the Sixers need Embiid out there, but the numbers illustrate just how important he is.

Dallas Mavericks - Luka Doncic

Were the Mavs in a better position in the standings, Doncic might have his own compelling case for MVP. He is averaging a combined 49.7 points, assists and rebounds per game, the most in the NBA.

KEY BATTLE - Can Mavs limit Sixers' three-point prowess?

A strength for Dallas this season has been defending the three-ball. They have allowed opponents to shoot just 35 per cent from beyond the arc, with only six teams faring better than the Mavs in that regard. The Sixers, meanwhile, boast the second-best three-point shooting percentage in the NBA at 38.6. 

In that area of the game, it's a true strength-on-strength matchup that figures to go a long way to deciding if the Mavs can complete a season sweep.

HEAD TO HEAD

The Mavericks prevailed 133-126 in March in Dallas, but have not won in Philadelphia since December 2019.

Jason Kidd praised the performance of Luka Doncic after the point guard led the Dallas Mavericks to a much-needed away win against the Indiana Pacers.

Doncic was cleared to play against the Pacers at Gainbridge Fieldhouse after his one-game suspension for a 16th technical of the season was rescinded earlier on Monday.

The four-time NBA All-Star starred with 25 points (eight-of-17 shooting), seven rebounds and six assists to guide the Mavs to a 127-104 victory, snapping their four-game losing streak.

"That's what he does," coach Kidd said. "He's one of the best players in the league at finding guys and then he's able to catch and shoot – not just once but multiple times."

The Mavericks' season had been hanging by a thread following defeats to the Memphis Grizzlies, the Golden State Warriors, and the Charlotte Hornets back-to-back.

But with Doncic stepping up and Kyrie Irving chipping in with 16 points (seven-of-11), six assists, three blocks and two steals, Dallas are now 37-39 for the season.

Kidd's side are a half-game behind the Los Angeles Lakers (37-38) and Oklahoma City Thunder (37-38) as they battle it out for the last play-in spot.

The 33-43 Pacers have now lost three straight and six of eight, meanwhile, and former Mavericks coach Rick Carlisle accepts his side had little chance with Doncic clearly in the mood.

"It's tough," Carlisle said. "Luka makes a couple of passes that were unbelievable, that only one player in the world can make."

Doncic's dazzling display proved the difference, but Carlisle – who has a league-leading 11 technicals this season – was not surprised the league allowed him to play.

"I don't know how many I have myself, I just know I've surpassed the five the team can pay for," he said. 

"They're not cheap, so if you're going to get them, you better get your money's worth."

The Mavs have another road trip at the Philadelphia 76ers on Wednesday, while the Pacers host Eastern Conference leaders Milwaukee Bucks on the same day.

Reigning back-to-back MVP Nikola Jokic joined elite company on Monday as he put together another spectacular performance in the Denver Nuggets' 116-111 home win against the Philadelphia 76ers.

Jokic put up a team-high 25 points on eight-of-11 shooting, while adding 17 rebounds and 12 assists. In the process, he joined Hall-of-Famers Wilt Chamberlain and Oscar Robertson as the only players in NBA history to produce 10 games of at least 20 points, 15 rebounds and 10 assists in the same season.

The contest was meant to be a battle of the two top MVP candidates, but 76ers center and award favourite Joel Embiid was ruled out with calf soreness after suiting up for all 13 games this month.

With James Harden also out, Tyrese Maxey led the 76ers with 29 points on 12-of-21 shooting, five assists, four rebounds and three steals, while Paul Reed excelled off the bench with 16 points (seven-of-seven), nine rebounds, two steals and a block in just 17 minutes.

The win extends the Nuggets' lead atop the Western Conference to 3.5 games, while their 51-24 record trails only the Milwaukee Bucks (54-21) and the Boston Celtics (52-23) for the league's best. Their 32-6 record at home is the second-best in the league, behind the 32-5 Memphis Grizzlies.

Timberwolves win fourth straight in potential first-round preview

The Minnesota Timberwolves are getting hot at the right time, collecting their fourth win in a row by defeating the Sacramento Kings 119-115 away from home.

Karl-Anthony Towns was sitting out the second leg of the back-to-back after returning from a long-term injury on Sunday against the Golden State Warriors, but the Wolves had seven players score at least 14 points each in a well-rounded effort.

Elite young defender Jaden McDaniels led Minnesota in scoring with 20 points (eight-of-15 shooting), Kyle Anderson dished a game-high 11 assists and Rudy Gobert controlled the paint with 16 points (five-of-nine), 16 rebounds and two blocks.

The win means the Timberwolves leapfrogged the Warriors into the Western Conference's sixth seed, and if the season ended today, they would have a first-round series against the Kings.

Mavericks keep postseason hopes alive

With the Dallas Mavericks' season hanging on by a thread, they took advantage of Luka Doncic's rescinded technical and rode him to a 127-104 away win against the Indiana Pacers.

Doncic was given his 16th technical of the season in Sunday's surprise loss to the Hornets, which would have resulted in a one-game suspension if the league did not overturn it.

But it did, and Doncic went on to lead the Mavericks with 25 points (eight-of-17), seven rebounds and six assists, while Kyrie Irving chipped in 16 points (seven-of-11), six assists, three blocks and two steals.

The result leaves Dallas (37-39) a half-game behind the Los Angeles Lakers (37-38) and Oklahoma City Thunder (37-38) as they battle it out for the last play-in spots.

Luka Doncic has been cleared to face the Indiana Pacers after the Dallas Mavericks star's suspension was overturned by the NBA.

Doncic received his 16th technical foul of the season during the Mavericks' 110-104 defeat against the Charlotte Hornets on Sunday, after directing a profanity at an official following a correct no-call.

Dallas' fourth successive loss left them 11th in the Western Conference at 36-39, but their hopes of ending that streak against Indiana have been boosted after the NBA confirmed they had rescinded the point guard's infringement.

Doncic has been at the centre of controversy recently.

The Slovakia international revealed his frustrations at the Mavericks' poor form, while he was fined $35,000 after making "an inappropriate and unprofessional gesture" towards an official during their defeat to the Golden State Warriors.

Jason Kidd was hopeful Luka Doncic would have his one-game suspension overturned as the Dallas Mavericks work to "stop the bleeding" after a fourth straight defeat.

The Mavericks' past two losses have come against a 25-51 Charlotte Hornets team who looked to have shut down for the season.

And Sunday's 110-104 reverse, which left Dallas 11th in the West at 36-39, included a further costly setback.

Doncic received his 16th technical foul of the season after directing a profanity at an official following a correct no-call, meaning he is set to be banned for Monday's game at the Indiana Pacers.

The Mavs superstar had been the centre of attention following the previous game, too, outlining his "really frustrating" situation on a misfiring team.

Doncic responded with 40 points, 12 rebounds and eight assists, but his suspension now presents a problem for a team who cannot afford to throw away another game in an intense playoff chase.

"You're never going to replace him. It's going to take a group," coach Kidd said.

"It's 'next man up' mentality with Timmy [Hardaway Jr.] and look at [Jaden] Hardy and Josh [Green] participating and playing more minutes, [Justin] Holiday playing more minutes.

"But hopefully it's rescinded. I didn't think it was warranted, but we'll see what happens.

"If he is suspended, we have to move on with the next guy, so Timmy, coming back from the flu, was really good tonight, Holiday's minutes were positive, Maxi [Kleber] did a great job, a lot of great jobs.

"I thought Luka, again, being able to do what he did after his press conference... I thought he would have a big game and he did.

"It's just unfortunate we let these two games go. We've got to figure out how to stop the bleeding."

LeBron James returned from a month-long absence with a team-high 19 points and eight rebounds but the Los Angeles Lakers' three-game winning streak was halted by a 118-108 loss to the Chicago Bulls on Sunday.

James had missed 13 games, having not played since February 26 due to what he called a torn tendon in his foot, and started on the bench for the second time in his 20-year NBA career, entering the game midway through the first quarter.

But the four-time NBA MVP's return could not inspire the Lakers past the Bulls at Crypto.com Arena, with Zach LaVine scoring a game-high 32 points for the road team. The Lakers went 8-5 during James' absence.

The Bulls led 91-78 at three-quarter time and kept the Lakers at arm's length throughout the final period, with James only managing five points in the final quarter.

James shot six-of-11 from the field, missing both of his three-point attempts, with three assists along and five turnovers.

Lakers' power forward Anthony Davis scored 15 points with nine rebounds and five assists, while Bulls All-Star DeMar DeRozan had 17 points with 10 assists.

James was on the wrong end of a taunt from ex-Laker Patrick Beverley, who slapped the floor with the "too small" gesture, after making a two-point attempt with 1:12 left.

The loss drops the Lakers below .500 with a 37-38 record to sit ninth in the Western Conference, while the Bulls have won seven of their past nine games to shoot into playoff contention in the East, placed 10th with a 36-38 record.

Doncic faces ban as Mavs lose again

Luka Doncic dropped 40 points with 14 rebounds but the Dallas Mavericks' playoff hopes suffered another blow with their fourth successive defeat, going down 110-104 to the lowly Charlotte Hornets.

To make matters worse for Dallas, Doncic faces a one-game ban after he received his 16th technical foul of the season after using a profanity directed at an official following a correct no-call.

Doncic will miss Dallas' game against the Indiana Pacers on Monday if the decision is not rescinded, which seems unlikely.

Kyrie Irving only managed 18 points on five-of-15 shooting for the Mavs, who are 11th in the Western Conference with a 36-39 record, having lost seven of their past nine games.

Morant leads Grizzlies to sixth straight win

Ja Morant started for the first time since returning from suspension and scored 27 points to help the streaking Memphis Grizzlies beat the Atlanta Hawks 123-119 for their sixth straight win.

Morant scored a team-high 27 points on nine-of-17 shooting, with Desmond Bane adding 25 points, including three triples, and Jaren Jackson Jr built on his Defensive Player of the Year case as he racked up five blocks and three steals to go with 15 points and eight rebounds.

After being ejected on Saturday, Hawks guard Trae Young had 28 points on seven-of-14 shooting with 10 assists.

Memphis' sixth straight win, and second in a row on the road, improved their record to 47-27 to sit second in the West.

Dallas Mavericks coach Jason Kidd slammed his side's performance as "awful" and "dogs***" and says they deserved to be booed during their 117-109 loss to the Charlotte Hornets on Friday.

Despite having star duo Kyrie Irving and Luka Doncic available, the Mavericks were brushed aside by the under-manned Hornets who are already out of playoff contention.

The defeat significantly hurts the Mavs' own playoff aspirations, slipping outside the play-in tournament spots to 11th in the Western Conference with a 36-38 record after three straight losses.

The home crowd at American Airlines Center made their feelings known, booing the team during a third-quarter timeout when they trailed by 18 points.

"We probably should have been booed in the first quarter," Kidd told reporters. "The effort in the play. They have a right, they paid to see a better show, it wasn’t there until the second half.

"It was awful, dogs***. Understanding the talk before the game with what we're playing for, playoffs or championship, to come out in that first quarter and give up 37, the interest level wasn't high. It was just disappointing."

The Mavs are 7-12 since Irving was traded in from the Brooklyn Nets in February to make them a championship contender. Dallas are 3-7 when Irving and Luka Doncic have played together.

Doncic scored a game-high 34 points with 10 rebounds and eight assists, while Irving added 18 points, nine rebounds and seven assists, but the Mavs were undone after their poor first-half showing.

Irving downplayed the significance of the fans booing the side, despite losing six of their past eight games.

"So what? Just the way I feel about it," Irving said. "I've been in New York City, so I know what that's like. You obviously want to play well, but it's only five people on the court that can play for the Dallas Mavericks.

"If the fans want to change places, then hey, be my guest. Got years of work ahead to be great enough to be on this level. But our focus isn't necessarily on the boos.

"It should be on our performance and just being there for each other."

The Golden State Warriors stormed home to rally back from an 11-point fourth-quarter deficit to down the Philadelphia 76ers 120-112 despite Joel Embiid's 46 points on Friday.

Jordan Poole was clutch with 33 points off the bench including six three-pointers, while Stephen Curry added 29 points on 10-of-18 shooting from the field with eight rebounds at the Chase Center.

Poole made a pivotal three-pointer for a 115-110 lead with 1:18 remaining in the last as the Warriors improved to 39-36 to sit sixth in the Western Conference.

The 76ers had led by 11 points with 11:32 remaining in the fourth quarter after Shake Milton laid off for Paul Reed's alley oop layup, but the Warriors launched their comeback with Poole and Curry at the heart of it.

Poole scored 19 of his 33 points in the fourth period, while Curry stepped up with eight points in the final four minutes.

Klay Thompson added six triples in his 21 points, while Draymond Green had 10 points, seven rebounds and 10 assists in a busy display.

MVP candidate Embiid was huge with 46 points on 13-of-23 shooting from the field with nine rebounds and eight assists.

Tobias Harris added 23 points for the 76ers, with Tyrese Maxey contributing 21. James Harden was absent with Achilles soreness.

Embiid scored 13 straight points for the 76ers in the fourth quarter after checking back in with 8:26 left.

Mavericks slip out of play-in spots

The Dallas Mavericks suffered their third straight loss as their playoff hopes took another hit with a disappointing 117-109 loss to the short-handed Charlotte Hornets.

Luka Doncic scored a game-high 34 points with 10 rebounds and eight assists, while Kyrie Irving added 18 points, nine rebounds and seven assists, but the Mavs were undone after a slow first half, with Hornets forward P.J. Washington managing a team-high 28 points.

The loss leaves the Mavs outside the play-in tournament spots in 11th in the Western Conference with a 36-38 record.

Lakers up to .500 for first time this season

The Los Angeles Lakers squared their ledger at .500 and moved up to eighth in the West with a 116-111 triumph over the Oklahoma City Thunder securing three consecutive wins.

Anthony Davis had 37 points and 14 rebounds for the Lakers, while Lonnie Walker impressed in his return with 20 points and Denis Schroder added 13 of his 21 points in the second half.

The Lakers improved to 37-37 with the win, getting to .500 for the first time this season, with LeBron James' return form injury reportedly not far away. LA are 8-5 during James' latest absence.

Luka Doncic has been fined $35,000 after making "an inappropriate and unprofessional gesture" towards an official.

With just 1.7 seconds to go of the 127-125 defeat to the Golden State Warriors on Wednesday, the Dallas Mavericks star rubbed his fingers together at a referee, appearing to reference money.

One piece of fortune for Doncic was that he was not given a technical foul for the gesture, with the Slovenian just one shy of the 16 required for a one-game suspension.

However, the NBA confirmed on Friday that Doncic will be fined for the incident.

Mavericks owner Mark Cuban wrote on Twitter after the game that they will protest what he called the "worst officiating non-call mistake possibly in the history of the NBA".

Dallas' objections are based on a referee call that led to Warriors center Kevon Looney scoring an uncontested dunk to make it 90-87 from a Jordan Poole inbound pass with 1:54 left in the third quarter following a Mavericks timeout.

The Mavericks believed they had possession of the ball, and so were not in position for the inbound, with Cuban claiming that was due to a miscommunication by the referees.

The Golden State Warriors claimed rare back-to-back wins with Wednesday's 127-125 victory at the Dallas Mavericks but the game was marred by controversy after Kevon Looney's third-quarter uncontested dunk.

Stephen Curry scored 20 points with 13 assists as the reigning NBA champions secured consecutive wins on a road trip for the first time this season at American Airlines Center.

But the Mavs were left raging after Looney's uncontested dunk with 1:54 left in the third quarter from a Warriors inbound after a timeout, which Dallas had thought was their ball, meaning they subsequently lined up on the other half of the court.

Mavs owner Mark Cuban said they would contest the result of the game due to the incident which he labelled the "worst officiating non call mistake possibly in the history of the NBA" on Twitter.

Despite that, the Mavs could have won the game on merit, with Luka Doncic missing a two-point attempt under pressure from Draymond Green with 3.2 seconds left at 125-122.

That came after Curry's bounce-pass set up Green's three-point play, before the reigning NBA Finals MVP glided in for a two-point shot to open up the three-point buffer with 8.1 seconds to play.

Doncic, in his return after missing five games with a thigh injury, scored 30 points with seven rebounds and 17 assists. Doncic shot 11-of-27 from the field and six-of-10 from the stripe.

In Kyrie Irving's absence, 20-year-old guard Jaden Hardy was outstanding with six three-pointers in his 27 points.

The win is a major boost for Golden State's playoff hopes, moving to sixth in the West with a 38-36 record, while the Mavs drop to ninth with a 36-37 record, having lost five of their past seven games.

It was Golden State's first road win when trailing after the first quarter, having entered the game with a 0-20 record.

Morant and KAT make successful returns

Ja Morant made his successful return for the Memphis Grizzlies off the bench for the first time in his career as they won their fourth straight game, beating the Houston Rockets 130-125.

Morant returned after his NBA-imposed eight-game suspension with 17 points and five assists, receiving a standing ovation from the home fans upon his injection into the game.

Jaren Jackson Jr scored a season-high 37 points with 10 rebounds and Desmond Bane added 20 points as the Grizzlies clinched the Southwest division.

It was a night of returns as Karl-Anthony Towns was back for the first time since November due to a calf strain, scoring two game-winning free-throws with 3.6 seconds left as the Minnesota Timberwolves won 125-124 over the Atlanta Hawks.

Lakers stay right in playoff hunt

The Los Angeles Lakers ensured they remained firmly in the congested race for Western Conference playoff and play-in tournament spots with a 122-111 victory over the Phoenix Suns.

Anthony Davis scored a team-high 27 points including 20 in the second half, with nine rebounds, while Austin Reaves backed up Sunday's 35-point game with 25 points and a career-high 11 assists.

Devin Booker scored 33 points on 11-of-16 field shooting with six rebounds but seven turnovers for the Suns, who remain fourth in the West but with a 38-34 record.

The Lakers move up to 10th, just behind the Mavs in ninth, with a 36-37 record and LeBron James not far from a return from injury.

All-Star Luka Doncic has been ruled out for a third straight game for the Dallas Mavericks as he continues to recover from a thigh injury sustained last week.

Doncic will miss the Mavs' game against the 17-50 San Antonio Spurs on Wednesday with a left thigh strain.

Fellow All-Star guard Kyrie Irving is listed as questionable due to right foot soreness, having missed the past two games as well.

The Mavs have lost those past two games, both against the Memphis Grizzlies, without their star duo, putting pressure on their playoffs hopes.

Dallas have fallen below .500 with a 34-35 record, slipping down to eighth in the tight Western Conference, having lost six of their past eight games.

Christian Wood (foot) and Tim Hardaway Jr (calf) are also listed as questionable for Wednesday's game, potentially further depleting the Mavs' offensive options.

Doncic avoided serious injury after an MRI on his thigh came up clear last Thursday having exited Wednesday's defeat against the New Orleans Pelicans due to the injury.

It had been expected that the Slovenian would return to the court one the discomfort and pain subsided but his prolonged absence will not help their playoffs aspirations.

Doncic is ranked second in the NBA for points per game at 33.0, behind only Joel Embiid (33.4) this season.

The Dallas Mavericks breathed a collective sigh of relief on Thursday as Luka Doncic has avoided a serious injury following an MRI on his thigh.

Doncic exited in the third quarter of Dallas' 113-106 defeat against the New Orleans Pelicans on Wednesday with pain in his thigh.

Currently sitting second in the race for the scoring title at 33.0 points per game, the 24-year-old is one of the few players with a genuine chance to garner MVP votes, also posting a career-best 50 per cent mark from the field.

When asked immediately after Wednesday's game about the state of his injury, he said it was "not good".

"I didn't get hit, so this is kind of weird for me," he said. "I don't really know what it is. I can feel it mostly on the jump shots because you need both legs, so pushing off has been really hard for me."

After that troubling description, it was almost a surprise when ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported the "MRI on [Doncic's] thigh is clean and he's expected to return as soon as discomfort allows him".

The Mavericks have a couple of days off before travelling to take on the Memphis Grizzlies on Saturday, and they will next be in action when the Grizzlies then head to Dallas for the second leg of a home-and-home on Monday.

Luka Doncic will undergo an MRI after being forced out of the Dallas Mavericks' loss to the New Orleans Pelicans with a thigh issue, having described his injury as "not good".

Doncic recorded 15 points and eight assists before exiting in the third quarter of Wednesday's 113-106 defeat, a result that saw the Mavs slip to eighth in the Western Conference.

The four-time NBA All-Star appeared to be in pain after going up for a 15-foot jump shot, and his condition must be assessed ahead of the first game of a double-header against the Memphis Grizzlies on Sunday.

Asked about his thigh after the loss to New Orleans, Doncic said on Wednesday: "It's not good.

"I didn't get hit. So this is kind of weird for me. I don't really know what it is. I can feel it mostly on the jump shots because you need both legs, so pushing off has been really hard for me.

"Tomorrow, we're going to do an MRI. We'll see if everything is fine. Just ice and therapy and that's it. We'll see more tomorrow."

Doncic also revealed he felt discomfort in the same area before a 142-116 win over the San Antonio Spurs on February 24, with the injury lingering since then.

"I think it was the second game after the All-Star break, something like that," Doncic said, when asked when he first sustained the problem.

Coach Jason Kidd said: "I think we all can see he's not moving well. Shooting, defense – it's affecting everything. He's trying to fight through it and help his team-mates. But he had to leave there.

"Hopefully it's not something serious. We have a couple of days here before we play Memphis. Hopefully he's back soon."