Mavericks Forward Gets Real On Absence Of 'Ultra-Superstar' Luka Doncic In OT Loss To The Heat

Naji Marshall made it clear that the Dallas Mavericks are missing Luka Doncic on the court after falling to a 118-123 loss to the Miami Heat.

The Dallas Mavericks fell to a 9-8 record on the season with their 118-123 OT loss to the Miami Heat tonight. The Mavericks were on a four-game win streak heading into this clash but couldn't pull the win out in OT and are ninth in the West right now. This is a bad time for the franchise to be without superstar Luka Doncic, who's missed three out of the team's last four games with a wrist injury.

After the loss, Mavericks forward and summer signing Naji Marshall reflected on how hard winning close games without Doncic can be for the team in his post-game comments.

"Ultra superstar. In clutch situations, we would love to have him. That's what he does best. We're missing a whole lot, as a player in Luka Doncic. Hopefully, my guy gets right and when he gets back, he can take over."

Over Doncic's six-and-a-half years in the NBA, few teammates have spoken with so much reverence for his skills. It's clear that everyone in the Mavericks locker room, including Kyrie Irving, understands they need to defer to Doncic due to his insane offensive ability. While they were 2-0 without Doncic heading into this clash against the Heat, it's clear they were missing Luka at the end of the contest. 

Marshall had a solid night, having his second consecutive 20-point game (8-16 FG) while coming off the bench. He's proven to be a great signing for the Mavericks, averaging 10.7 points, 3.4 rebounds, and 2.6 assists through the start of the season, providing multi-dimensional offensive play and extremely consistent defense.

Jason Kidd Gets Real On Mavericks' Rotations Without Luka Doncic

Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd is trying to keep the ship steady as the Mavericks start another season battling a .500 record through the opening months. Kidd has been throwing a lot of stuff on the wall to see which rotations work best for the franchise, though missing Doncic has added a major wrinkle to his process of tinkering.

Kidd was asked by reporters after the game about the complication of figuring out a rotation without Doncic, prompting the coach to defend his overall roster and calling this loss a valuable lesson.

"It's not tough. I think it's a great experience. It's a positive because you never know with foul trouble or injury. The bench has been in the positive since Luka's been out but unfortunately tonight, our bench was not in the positive. Our starters kept us in the game, but you just never know who's going to be able to play. This is a great lesson learned for all of us."

Doncic is expected to be ruled out for a minimum of two more games before his return status is revealed. The Mavericks face the Atlanta Hawks on the second night of a back-to-back tomorrow before heading back home to host the New York Knicks. 

Luka will miss both games but might be back for their road fixture against the Utah Jazz on Saturday night.