Report: Mavs' Luka Dončić Likely Out vs. Anthony Edwards, T-Wolves with Quad Injury

Dallas Mavericks star Luka Dončić is reportedly expected to miss Thursday night's game against the Minnesota Timberwolves due to an injury to his left quad, per NBA insider Marc Stein.

It was noted that Dallas is playing the second leg of a back-to-back following Wednesday's loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers in which the Mavs blew a 20-point lead.

Dončić was also ruled out for Dallas' game against the Houston Rockets on Dec. 22 due to a quad injury, according to Stein. It was just the second game he missed during the 2023-24 season.

The 24-year-old has been a workhorse for the Mavs this season, ranking third in the league with an average of 37.0 minutes per game. He's currently averaging 39.6 minutes in December.

Dončić has been in the midst of another MVP-caliber campaign. His average of 33.7 points is second in the league behind reigning MVP Joel Embiid of the Philadelphia 76ers. He also leads the Mavs with 8.4 rebounds, 9.2 assists and 1.4 steals per game.

Thanks to Dončić's hot start, the Mavs are off to an 18-13 start to the season. Dallas is looking to bounce back from a disappointing finish to 2022-23 in which the team fell short of the playoffs.

However, the Mavs have also been working through the absence of Kyrie Irving, who has been out since Dec. 8 with a right heel contusion.

Without Dončić on Thursday, Jaden Hardy and Dante Exum will have to step up in the Mavs backcourt to help replace his production.