Report: Mavericks star Doncic to return vs. Spurs

Dallas Mavericks forward Luka Doncic will return from his sprained right ankle for Thursday night's game against the San Antonio Spurs, ESPN reported. Doncic, 20, missed the past four games and most of a fifth when he injured his ankle early in a Dec. 14 game against the Miami Heat. The Mavericks lost that game and then went 2-2 without their superstar, who has averaged 29.3 points over 25 games.

The injury forced Doncic to miss a highly anticipated matchup against Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks on Dec. 16. Dallas won that game without their scoring leader, ending the Bucks' 18-game winning streak. Doncic officially is listed as questionable on the injury report heading into the game against the Spurs. He was a full participant in practice Tuesday.

"I'm feeling good," Doncic said after practice. "Just taking care of it. (There are) a lot of things we have to do and we're just taking care of it. We'll see how it progresses and we'll see if I play." In addition to his scoring prowess, Doncic has averaged 9.6 rebounds and 8.9 assists per game.

It also was announced Thursday that Doncic has signed a shoe deal with the Nike offshoot Jordan Brand. --Field Level Media