Mavericks' Luka Doncic scores 24 in return from sprained ankle

Mavericks forward Luka Doncic scored 24 points in his return from a sprained right ankle Thursday night, lifting Dallas to a 102-98 win over the San Antonio Spurs.

Doncic, who also had 10 rebounds and eight assists in 33 minutes, missed the past four games and was listed as questionable before he started Thursday's game, as per iSports API basketball livescore data.

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It felt good to be back," Doncic said after the game. "It was like I was running a marathon. I was so tired. It's different when you miss four or five games. It was great being back."

Entering the day, he ranked third in the NBA with 29.3 points and 8.9 assists per game, and he also averages 9.6 rebounds, according to iSports basketball API.

He was a full participant in the Mavericks' practice Tuesday, and the team wanted to monitor how his ankle responded before inserting him in the lineup.

The Mavericks went 2-2 in Doncic's absence.

Doncic injured the ankle when he stepped on the foot of Miami Heat guard Kendrick Nunn while driving to the basket in the opening minutes of the Mavs' double-overtime loss on Dec. 14. The ankle rolled over so far that it touched the hardwood, and the Mavs felt fortunate that X-rays were negative and Doncic was diagnosed with a lateral ankle sprain.

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