Mavs-Wolves preview: Dončić, Irving both sidelined

MINNEAPOLIS – The Mavericks will be without both of their superstar guards – and more – when they meet the Minnesota Timberwolves on Wednesday.

Luka Dončić has been ruled out against the Wolves with a right ankle sprain that has been giving him trouble for a while. In addition, Kyrie Irving remains sidelined with a sprained right thumb.

In addition, the Mavericks will be without Dereck Lively II, who suffered a broken nose late in Monday’s game against Orlando when the Magic’s Wendell Carter Jr. inadvertently conked the rookie in the face with a wayward elbow.

Clearly, it’s going to make for a challenging night against Minnesota, which owns the best record in the Western Conference at 33-14.

Luka’s absence comes after the point guard put together a three-game stretch that had never been witnessed before except by those old enough to remember Wilt Chamberlain.

In those three games, when the Mavericks went 2-1, he averaged 48.7 points, 9.7 rebounds and 13 assists.

With his right ankle giving him trouble recently, the Mavericks declared Dončić out on Tuesday afternoon for the one-game trip to the north country.

Despite rolling up huge minutes this season, he has been remarkably durable. He has missed only seven games and one of those was for the birth of his daughter.

This will be the third game this season that both Irving and Dončić have missed. The Mavericks are 0-2, having lost at Houston and their first trip to Minnesota when both guards were out.

• Both teams are coming off impressive wins. The Wolves overcame a fourth-quarter deficit to win at Oklahoma City 107-101 on Monday, the same night the Mavericks overcame a 16-point gap against the Orlando Magic at American Airlines Center to win 131-129.
• In the win over the Thunder, the Wolves won the fourth quarter 34-24 and got 18 rebounds from Rudy Gobert, 27 points from Anthony Edwards and 21 points from Karl-Anthony Towns. That was the finale of a four-game trip on which the Wolves won three times, albeit against modest competition (wins at Washington and Brooklyn, a loss at San Antonio) before the win at OKC.
• The Mavericks also have rotation players who are doubtful – Dante Exum (knee) and Derrick Jones Jr. (wrist). The Wolves list guard Mike Conley as questionable with hamstring soreness.
• With all the injuries, the Mavericks likely will rely on some unusual rotations. Expect Josh Green, Jaden Hardy, Tim Hardaway Jr. and perhaps Seth Curry to have their minutes extended in the backcourt.
• This will be the final regular-season meeting of the season between the teams. The Mavericks are 1-2 so far in the season series.
• The Timberwolves are favored by 13.5 points and the over/under is 224.5 points.

MAVERICKS (26-21) at MINNESOTA TIMBERWOLVES (33-14)

• When/where: 7 p.m. Wednesday, Target Center, Minneapolis.
• TV: Bally’s Sports Southwest.
• Radio: 97.1 FM The Freak; 99.1 FM Zona MX (Spanish).

X: @ESefko