Dallas Mavericks star Luka Doncic insisted his ankle injury was "not that bad" after a loss to the Los Angeles Clippers.

Doncic sprained his ankle in the third quarter of the 130-122 defeat in Game 3 of the Western Conference first-round series on Friday.

The guard briefly returned before being forced off, finishing with 13 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists as the Mavs fell 2-1 behind in the series.

Doncic insisted the setback was not serious, but he will undergo an MRI on Saturday.

"I mean I saw the video. I don't know how it happened, but it's not that bad," he told a news conference.

"Honestly, I had luck it's my left ankle, it's not my right so, it's a little sprain.

"We'll know more tomorrow."

Doncic was unsure whether he would be available for the Mavericks in Game 4 on Sunday.

The Slovenian said he felt restricted after returning to the court.

"I just wanted to get in you know. I know we still had a chance to win, help my team-mates, but obviously I could run a little bit, but I couldn't push off my left leg," Doncic said.

"It was better to go out and let somebody play."

Doncic, 21, became the third-youngest player to record a triple-double in the playoffs, behind only Magic Johnson and LeBron James.