DALLAS — Coming off a Game 3 win, the Dallas Mavericks will get a big boost for Game 4 on Saturday afternoon in Utah: Star guard Luka Doncic's status was upgraded to "probable," the team announced about three hours before tipoff.
WFAA's Mike Leslie confirmed just after 2 p.m. that Doncic would play in Game 4.
Doncic's comeback will be his first action since he strained his left calf in the season finale on April 10.
The Mavericks and Jazz are set for a 3:30 p.m. CT start in Salt Lake City. The game will be aired on TNT.
ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski broke the news around noon Saturday that Doncic, who had been listed as questionable for Game 4, was trending toward a return against the Jazz, albeit likely in a limited fashion.
Wojnarowski reported that Doncic would play limited minutes if he completed warmups without any setbacks.
At 12:45 p.m., the team's public relations account tweeted that Doncic's status had been upgraded.
Doncic's status has been a daily storyline for the Mavericks, even as they've outperformed expectations without him.
Doncic has practiced this week, as speculation ramped up about a possible return in Game 3 in the series. He was also seen in warmups before Thursday night's game.
While he sat Thursday night, he told ESPN on Friday that he wasn't experiencing any pain or discomfort in his calf.
After falling behind 1-0 in the series, Dallas won games 2 and 3 behind strong efforts from Jalen Brunson and Maxi Kleber.
Brunson dropped 41 points in Game 2 and 31 in Game 3. Kleber, who struggled down the stretch of the regular season, knocked down eight three-pointers in Game 2 and four in Game 3.
Doncic's return Saturday marks the third time he's played in a playoff series. The Mavericks lost last year and in 2020 in the first round against the Clippers. Dallas will be trying to get past the first round since the team won the 2011 NBA title.