Report: 'Optimism' Luka Dončić Will Return to Mavs from Calf Injury Before NBA ASG

According to NBA insider Marc Stein, there is "optimism" that Dallas Mavericks star Luka Dončić will return to the team from his calf injury before the NBA All-Star break.

Dallas' final game before the break is a February 13 contest against the Miami Heat.

Dončić exited in the second quarter of the Mavs' Christmas Day loss to the visiting Minnesota Timberwolves after suffering what appeared to be a non-contact injury.

He was visibly limping as he left the court, and ESPN's Shams Charania later reported he used crutches to leave the arena after the game.

Charania originally identified the injury as a calf strain, and reported that the Mavericks were preparing for Dončić to "miss an extended period of time."

Dončić was playing in the contest after missing two games with a left heel contusion.

He was also sidelined for five games earlier this season with a right wrist sprain, and sat out one other contest with a right knee contusion.

The Mavericks star's latest injury was especially concerning given his history with left calf injuries. He was sidelined for three games during the 2022 postseason with a left calf strain and missed part of training camp and preseason this fall with a contusion to the same calf.

Dončić was leading the Mavericks with 28.1 points, 8.3 rebounds, 7.8 assists and 2.0 steals per game prior to his injury.

Without Dončić, the Mavericks have won just five of 15 games and his return will be an obvious boost to a team currently in the play-in spots in the Western Conference playoff picture.