Luka Doncic’s injury and looming suspension risk derailing Dallas Mavericks’ playoff push

The Mavs dropped from No. 5 to No. 8 in the NBA’s Western Conference playoff standings after losing to the Pelicans.

Don’t think Mavericks star Luka Doncic had an ulterior motive Wednesday night against the New Orleans Pelicans when he followed a physical drive to the basket with a shout at officials for not calling an and-one foul.

He didn’t mean to draw his 15th technical foul of the season, putting him one shy of an automatic one-game suspension for a third consecutive season.

He doesn’t want to rest his left thigh strain in that way.

But perhaps Doncic’s subconscious knew, one way or another, the Mavericks are approaching time without their 24-year-old franchise cornerstone.

Whether because of the thigh strain he deemed “not good” after leaving in the third quarter Wednesday, his rapid technical-foul pace for arguing with officials or both, Doncic is increasingly likely to miss crucial games during the Mavericks’ push to avert their post-trade deadline skid and clinch a playoff spot over the next month.

“If I knew, I would do it every time,” Doncic said when asked how he’d work to avoid that fateful 16th technical foul over the Mavericks’ last 15 regular-season games. “For me it’s hard, the passion, trying to win games. But for sure, I got to be better.”

The Mavericks hope the same for his thigh. He had an MRI on Thursday that came back clean and he is expected to return as soon as the discomfort allows him to, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported.