Dallas Mavericks superstar Luka Doncic will be re-evaluated in one month following a left calf strain in Wednesday’s Christmas Day loss, 105-99, to the Minnesota Timberwolves, according to ESPN’s senior NBA insider Shams Charania.
The injury occurred in the second quarter as Doncic attempted to drive on Timberwolves defensive specialist Jaden McDaniels. He stopped his dribble, turned around, and passed the ball back out in obvious pain. He left the game with what has now been determined to be a calf strain.
Doncic, who underwent an MRI on Thursday, has a lengthy history of injuries to his left calf, including missing this season’s training camp and the entire preseason due to a calf contusion.
The injury is a tough pill to swallow on many fronts. The most glaring of all is that the Mavericks, currently the No. 4 seed in the Western Conference with a 19-11 record in 30 games, will now be without their best player for an extended period of time. In a stacked Western Conference where every game matters, that could be devasting for the Mavericks as far as seeding purposes as they attempt to make a return trip to the NBA finals.
Embed from Getty ImagesThe injury is a personal blow as well. Doncic will not reach 65 games this season, meaning he will not be eligible for the coveted MVP award or All-NBA teams. Doncic has already missed eight games and has never captured the award, but always maintained his place in the running throughout his career and typically plays his best ball around this time of year after slow starts. Prior to the Minnesota game, Doncic had been lighting it up, averaging roughly 30 points, 10 rebounds and nine assists in the month of December.
Fortunately for them, the Mavericks have learned how to play without Doncic and largely held their own this season. They are 6-2 in the eight games that he has missed thanks to Kyrie Irving and the deep, versatile supporting cast that general manager Nico Harrison has put around Doncic.
That group will now be tested more than ever as they do everything they can in an attempt to navigate at least the next month with Doncic recovering.
“Praying for Luka just to have a speedy recovery,” co-star Irving said after scoring 39 points in Wednesday’s loss, when the Mavs trimmed a 28-point deficit down to two in the final minute. “However long the timetable is, we’re going to have to adjust. It’s just the nature of the business. Hopefully, he just takes his time and comes back when he’s ready.
