Doncic To Miss First Game Of Playoffs As Curry, Simmons Set To Return

Topline

Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry and Brooklyn Nets guard Ben Simmons are set to return to their teams in time for their respective first round NBA playoff matchups, but Dallas Mavericks guard Luka Doncic will miss at least the first game of his team’s series with a calf strain, according to the Athletic.

Key Facts

Following a month-long absence due to a sprained ligament and bone bruise in his left foot, Curry is set to play Saturday in game 1 of the third-seeded Warriors’ first round matchup against the No. 6 Denver Nuggets, barring any setbacks in Thursday’s scrimmage, according to the Athletic.

Simmons, who has yet to play a game this season after holding out from the Philadelphia 76ers until they gave in to his trade demand and sent him to the seventh-seeded Nets in February, is reportedly targeting a return within games 4-6 of his squad’s first-round matchup against the No. 2 Boston Celtics following his recovery from a herniated disc in his back.

Doncic, the fourth-seeded Mavericks’ 23-year-old wunderkind MVP candidate, will reportedly miss game 1 of his team’s first round matchup against the fifth-seeded Utah Jazz on Saturday due to a calf strain suffered on the final day of the regular season.

Surprising Fact

The Mavericks were up 18 points on the San Antonio Spurs in the third quarter of the final game of the regular season Sunday when Doncic landed awkwardly and was forced to leave the game. His injury was later diagnosed as a left calf strain. With the Mavericks’ playoff seeding essentially determined by that point, some critics argued the team should have pulled its starters in order to avoid injuries in a meaningless exhibition.

Key Background

Simmons’ extended absence began as a protest when his former team refused to deal him prior to the start of the 2021-22 season. Tensions ran high between Simmons and 76ers head coach Doc Rivers after Rivers told the media he didn’t “know the answer” to whether Simmons could be a starting point guard on a championship team following Philadelphia’s playoff collapse last season. However, after Simmons was granted his request and sent to Brooklyn in exchange for another disgruntled star guard in James Harden, Simmons suffered a back injury during his reconditioning training that has kept him off the court. If Simmons does play against Boston, it’ll be his first time seeing NBA action in 10 months.

Big Number

+10.7 points per 100 possessions. That’s the Warriors’ net rating when Curry is on the floor this season—the second-best mark in the league among players who have played 55 or more games, behind only Boston’s Jayson Tatum at +12.1.