Luka Doncic - NBA - sportstiger

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Dallas Mavericks star guard Luka Doncic has been diagnosed with a calf injury which he suffered during the last game of the season against the San Antonio Spurs. The Mavericks released a statement that an MRI has confirmed the diagnosis of a strained left calf and there is currently no timetable for his return.

Mavericks coach Jason Kidd said after Tuesday's practice talked about how Doncic is in ‘great spirits’ and the team is getting ready for the Jazz under with or without him on the roster. “We’ll see. He’s in great spirits today,” Kidd said.

“We’ll see how his body feels tomorrow. We’ll prepare with him, and then we’ll also prepare without him. If he’s able to go and put on his shoes, then he’s going to go. If he can’t, we’re not going to put him in a situation to jeopardize it and make things worse.”

Notably, the Dallas Mavericks were leading the Spurs by 18 points in the third quarter when Luka Doncic landed awkwardly after elevating for a pass and immediately began scowling in pain as he grabbed his left calf. "The average time lost for a calf strain is 16 days according to injury", analyst Jeff Stotts said on Twitter. "But the minimum recovery is three days, which depends on the severity of each case," he added.

"I'm told, is a little bit more than a mild strain"

Reportedly, the Mavs are significantly concerned about Doncic's availability for Game 1. "There's a lot of concern about how quickly in this playoff series Luka Doncic will be available against Utah. I'm told if this was the regular season, you wouldn't even be talking about Luka Doncic playing games this weekend. But this is the postseason.” 

"Obviously, this is a Dallas team that is built so much around Doncic. But this calf strain, I'm told, is a little bit more than a mild strain. They're going to keep working on him around the clock. The Mavericks have been guarded in talking about his availability, but certainly, there's concern. He had that MRI yesterday. The hope is that he will play in this series. Certainly, uncertainty whether he will be on the floor when the series starts Game 1 on Saturday,"  a team member was quoted.