Mavericks’ Luka Doncic is set to make his debut alongside Kyrie Irving

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Luka Doncic is expected to play alongside his new All-Star backcourt partner Kyrie Irving for the first time Saturday night.

Doncic was upgraded to likely for the second straight game against the Sacramento Kings after missing the last four games with a bruised right heel.

The Mavs, who lost the first seven games that Doncic missed this season, are on a three-game winning streak. That includes wire-to-wire victories over the LA Clippers and Kings in the two games since Irving joined the Mavs after a blockbuster trade with the Brooklyn Nets.

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Doncic, who leads the NBA with 33.4 points per game, and Irving (27.0) will form one of the most explosive offensive duos in the league.

“I’ve never played with a guy like Kyrie, so obviously it’s still going to be a work in progress,” said Doncic, who also sits seventh in the league with 8.2 assists. “But I think it’s going to be good. We can both play with the ball. For me it will definitely be a learning process. I haven’t played the ball outside of my first season. But with a guy like him it will be different. “

Irving, who has averaged 24.5 points and 7.5 assists in two games with the Mavs, is used to playing alongside other Superstars, having been teammates with LeBron James and Kevin Durant, among others.

He’s eager to play with Doncic and figure out how they can mesh.

“I’m excited to see what that looks like,” Irving said. “As much as we can make the game easier for each other and keep the pace, that would be an advantage for us. I’m looking forward to seeing how that looks with Luka out there and I’m just guiding the wing shooters to their seats and if we don’t have anything we just sit in the half seat. We have some great options out there.