Mavericks' Luka Doncic Diagnosed with Strained Calf Injury; No Timetable for Return
Dallas Mavericks star Luka Doncic has been diagnosed with a calf strain ahead of the team's first-round matchup with the Utah Jazz, and there is no timetable for his return.
Tim MacMahon of ESPN reported Monday that Doncic's status for Game 1 on Saturday has not been determined.
Doncic gave the Mavericks a scare on Sunday when he suffered the injury in the third quarter of the team's regular-season finale against the San Antonio Spurs. There was initial optimism that it wasn't a serious injury, per ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski.
The Mavericks likely need a healthy Doncic if they want to make a deep run in the postseason.
The guard earned his third All-Star selection in four NBA seasons this year, finishing third in the league among qualified players with an average of 28.4 points per game. He also added 9.1 rebounds and 8.7 assists per game while shooting a career-best 35.3 percent from three-point range.
With the No. 1 usage rate in the NBA, it leaves a massive hole in the lineup when Doncic is unavailable.
Dallas, which went 8-9 without the guard during the regular season, does have other players ready to pick up the slack if needed. Jalen Brunson and Dorian Finney-Smith would likely become go-to options offensively with Spencer Dinwiddie also getting extra minutes.
Game 1 is set for Saturday at 1 p.m. ET.
