Doncic to miss first game of the NBA season due to rest

All-Star guard Luka Doncic will miss a game for the first time this season with the Dallas Mavericks resting him for Wednesday’s clash with the 2-12 Houston Rockets.

Doncic opened the season with nine-straight 30-point games for the Mavs, second only to Wilt Chamberlain’s 23-game all-time record from 1962-63.

The Slovenian played 40 minutes and scored 35 points in Tuesday’s narrow 103-101 win over the Los Angeles Clippers where they had blown a 25-point lead.

Doncic is the NBA’s scoring leader this season, averaging 34.4 points per game on 49.7 per cent field shooting, with 30 points or more in all but two of the 8-5 Mavericks’ 13 games.

The 23-year-old’s previous season-best average was 28.8 points per game in the 2019-20 season, his second year in the NBA.

Doncic is also averaging 8.8 rebounds, 7.8 assists and 2.1 steals per game this season.

Dallas’ upcoming opponents, Houston, have the NBA’s worst record and enter on a three-game losing run.