Report: Mavericks Star Luka Dončić Expected to Miss Game 1 Against Jazz
Apr 14, 2022, 12:04 PM | Updated: 12:15 pm
Dallas Mavericks guard Luka Doncic holds his leg after suffering a calf injury (Photo by Tim Heitman/Getty Images)
(Photo by Tim Heitman/Getty Images)
SALT LAKE CITY – NBA star Luka Dončić is expected to miss Game 1 of the playoff series between the Dallas Mavericks and Utah Jazz, according to The Athletics’s Shams Charania.
On Sunday, April 10, Dončić suffered a leg injury during Dallas’ regular season finale against the San Antonio Spurs.
The Mavericks and Jazz open the postseason on Saturday, April 16.
Mavericks star Luka Doncic is expected to miss Game 1 vs. Jazz on Saturday night due to strained calf, sources tell @TheAthletic @Stadium.
The latest regarding Doncic: https://t.co/bEFYKs2gmk
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) April 14, 2022
Dončić suffered a left calf strain during the third quarter against the Spurs and did not finish the game.
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On April 11, Doncic underwent an MRI on the calf, the next day, the Mavericks confirmed the injury but offered no updates on the guard’s timetable to return.
Wojnarowski: More Than Mild Strain
ESPN NBA Insider Adrian Wojnarowski previously gave the most definitive update on Doncic this week, saying the injury could seriously impact Doncic’s availability to open the series.
“I’m told this is more than just a mild calf strain,” Wojnarowski said.
Wednesday's reports are in, and here is the latest intel on the injury to @dallasmavs star Luka Doncic. #Takenote | @UtahJazz https://t.co/uR6GwXx1AJ
— KSL Sports (@kslsports) April 14, 2022
“The Mavericks are very much preparing for the possibility of not only maybe not having him in game one, but maybe even game two.”
The Jazz surrendered home-court advantage to the Mavericks in the final months of the season but could wrestle that back by winning one of their two opening games on the road against a shorthanded Dallas team.
The Mavericks went 8-9 this season in the 17 games that Doncic missed, leading to some urgency to see the star accelerate his return from the calf injury.
The @dallasmavs confirmed that tests revealed a calf strain for superstar Luka Doncic.
The team has yet to issue a time table for the guard's return. #TakeNote https://t.co/ntV4UU947c
— KSL Sports (@kslsports) April 12, 2022
“If this was the regular season you would even be talking about him possibly playing this weekend,” Wojnarowski reported.
Dallas Media On Doncic Calf
Additional reports on Doncic’s injury were released this week by members of the Dallas media who have been covering the Mavericks’ practices.
On April 13, Doncic was seen wearing a wrap on his injured calf under his shoes and socks while riding a stationary bike.
Dwain Price, who works for Mavs.com, offered this update from Mavericks coach Jason Kidd.
In their first practice ahead of the playoffs, @utahjazz guard Donovan Mitchell and head coach Quin Snyder discussed preparing for the @dallasmavs with Luka Doncic's calf injury. #TakeNote https://t.co/mm80C8Ileq
— KSL Sports (@kslsports) April 12, 2022
“He’s in good spirits, so we’ll see how he feels tomorrow. Externally, he looks the same.”
Callie Caplan of the Dallas Morning News reported that Doncic was still involved in the Mavericks’ practice despite his injured calf according to forward Dorian Finney-Smith.
“He’s definitely involved still, so [he’s] helping us, you know, with schemes and offense, what he sees,” Finney-Smith told the media. “He’s still walking around with that smile on his face, so you’d never really know what’s going on.”
The return from a calf strain can vary from a few days to a few months depending on the severity of the injury.
The Jazz saw both Bojan Bogdanovic and Rudy Gobert miss nine games from calf strains earlier this season, though the team was being extra cautious before the postseason.
