Luka Doncic is slated to miss Game 1 of the Mavs’ first-round series.
Dallas Mavericks guard Luka Doncic, who has been hobbled by a calf strain, will reportedly miss Game 1 Saturday (1 ET, ESPN) against the Utah Jazz in the first round of the playoffs.
Per ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, Doncic is out for Game 1 and there is concern about his status for Game 2 as the team takes a day-to-day approach on the injury.
Dallas Mavericks All-Star Luka Doncic (calf strain) will be out for Game 1 vs. Utah on Saturday and significant concern remains for his availability Monday in Game 2, sources tell ESPN. Mavs will play long game w/ injury and take it day-by-day after playing without him Saturday.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) April 15, 2022
Earlier in the week, the team said Tuesday that the 23-year-old superstar had begun treatment on the injury. Doncic strained his left calf late in the third quarter of what turned out to be a meaningless regular-season finale against San Antonio on Sunday.
The fourth-seeded Mavericks have home-court advantage in the playoffs for the first time since they won their only championship in 2011. That’s also the last time Dallas won a postseason series.
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Doncic finished as the NBA’s third-leading scorer at 28.4 points per game. He was the only player in the league to average at least 28 points, eight rebounds and eight assists per game.
The two-time All-Star wouldn’t have been eligible for the finale against the Spurs if the NBA hadn’t rescinded his 16th technical foul, assessed in the second-to-last game. Without the reversal, Doncic would have served a one-game suspension.
Doncic played his normal rotation, which included all of the first quarter and was supposed to be all of the third. Kidd said he would have been finished for the night after the third. The injury happened in the final three minutes of the quarter.
Luka Doncic’s calf strain overshadows a series between two hopeful Western contenders.
At practice earlier this week, fellow guard Spencer Dinwiddie said he “looked fine to me,” and Jalen Brunson said he was optimistic Doncic would play. Brunson will be the starting point guard if Doncic is out.
“I hope for the best,” Brunson said. “I mean, that’s our organization right there.”
Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.