Dallas Mavericks star Luka Doncic will not play against the Memphis Grizzlies on Friday night after attending to the birth of his first child on Friday afternoon. Doncic and his fiancee, Anamaria Goltes, announced the birth of their daughter, Gabriela, in a social media post during the day.
Doncic will be one of two Mavs players missing for personal reasons on Friday, as reserve guard Dante Exum was also ruled out due to personal reasons of his own. The team will also be missing Maxi Kleber due to a toe dislocation, while Tim Hardaway Jr. is questionable due to back spasms. In a positive development, Olivier-Maxence Prosper has been upgraded to available despite dealing with an ankle sprain.
Doncic had previously announced his engagement to Goltes, his longtime girlfriend, in early July.
Friday's absence will mark the first game Doncic has missed this season. He is currently averaging 31.1 points, 8.0 rebounds and 7.9 assists per game for the Mavericks, who lead the Southwest Division at 11-6 and currently sit fourth in the Western Conference standings.
Doncic last played Tuesday in a 121-115 win over the Houston Rockets, scoring 41 points with nine rebounds and nine assists.
