Luka Doncic diagnosed with calf strain; no word on Game 1 status—report
Luka Doncic #77 of the Dallas Mavericks is attended to my Casey Smith head trainer in the second half against the San Antonio Spurs at American Airlines Center on April 10, 2022 in Dallas, Texas. Tim Heitman/Getty Images/AFP
Luka Doncic was officially diagnosed with a left calf strain Monday, according to reports by ESPN and the Dallas Morning News.
The Dallas Mavericks have not decided whether their star guard will attempt to play in Game 1 of their first-round postseason series with the Utah Jazz on Saturday. They also have not revealed the severity of the strain, which typically is a significant factor in determining how long a player is sidelined.
Doncic suffered the injury in the third quarter of Sunday’s regular-season finale — a 130-120 win over the San Antonio Spurs. Dallas, which is the No. 4 seed in the Western Conference playoffs, did not make Doncic available following the game, as he was receiving medical treatment.
Mavericks guard Jalen Brunson expressed a bit of optimism following the contest.
“For some reason, I feel like he’ll be ready to go,” Brunson said. “Knowing the competitor that he is, I feel like he’ll be ready. It’s unfortunate, but a competitor like that you can’t keep down for long.”
Doncic averaged 28.5 points, 9.1 rebounds and 8.7 assists this season. He appeared in 65 games and made the Western Conference All-Star team for the third consecutive campaign.
