Dallas Mavericks superstar Luka Doncic will miss about a month before reevaluating a calf injury he suffered in the Christmas Day game against Minnesota, a person with knowledge of the injury said Friday.
Doncic had an MRI on his injured left calf, he told The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because details about the injury have not been released.
This absence will almost certainly be long enough to disqualify the five-time All-NBA player from other major awards, including MVP.
Doncic has already missed eight games, including five with a right wrist injury after limping on a play on offense late in the second quarter of Wednesday’s 105-99 loss to the Timberwolves.
The 25-year-old failed to reach the defensive end and limped to the locker room after the Mavericks called a timeout.
The defending Western Conference champion Mavericks play 17 games over the next month, starting Friday night in Phoenix. Doncic ranked sixth in the NBA on Friday, averaging 28.1 points per game, 8.3 rebounds and 7.8 assists.
A 25-game absence far exceeds the maximum of 15 games allowed for a player to remain eligible for a major award. The most games Doncic has missed in a season is 17 in 2021-22, before the participation rule went into effect.
Doncic suffered the injury in the second game after missing two games with a left heel contusion. He is also developing a history of left calf problems. Doncic previously missed all or most of the last two preseasons, missing the first three games of the 2022 playoffs.
The Mavericks, ranked 4th in the West, are 6-2 without Doncic this season. A big reason for that is fellow backcourt star Kyrie Irving, who is averaging 24 points when Doncic sits.
Dallas acquired four-time NBA champion Klay Thompson from Golden State in the offseason, and his 3-point threat makes it easier to survive without Doncic.
Spencer Dinwiddie, who played a key role in the surprising 2022 West finals run that started without Doncic, returned to Dallas in the offseason and will likely see more time while the Slovenian star sits out.
Another offseason addition, Naji Marshall, has scored at least 20 points in each of the first four games Doncic has missed with a wrist injury. Marshall has missed four games in five games recently due to illness, but he has played in the last four games.
The Associated Press reported.
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