by A.P.
DALLAS (AP) — Dallas Mavericks star Luka Doncic was ruled out against Oklahoma City on Wednesday night, sidelined by lower back tightness that coach Rick Carlisle said shouldn’t cost him his second All-Star appearance this weekend.
Doncic showed up on the injury report Tuesday, a day after scoring 33 points in a 130-124 victory at Orlando. It was the sixth game of the season of at least 30 points for Doncic, who turned 22 on Sunday.
The second missed game of the season for Doncic is Dallas’ last before the All-Star Game on Sunday in Atlanta. Carlisle said he expects Doncic to participate.
Doncic was voted an All-Star starter and also is in the skills competition, which will be before the game in a schedule streamlined by the pandemic.