Luka Doncic out at least a month, starting Friday against Suns

DALLAS (AP) — Dallas Mavericks superstar Luka Doncic will be out about a month before being re-evaluated for a calf injury sustained in a Christmas Day loss to Minnesota, a person with knowledge of the injury said Friday.

Doncic underwent an MRI on his strained left calf, the person told The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because details of the injury haven’t been released.

The defending Western Conference champion Mavericks play 17 games over the next month, starting Friday night in Phoenix.

Second-year center Derekc Lively II is questionable for Dallas with a hip contusion.

The Suns will be without Devin Booker (groin), Grayson Allen (concussion protocol) and Bol Bol (knee contusion).

Doncic had already missed eight games, including five because of a sprained right wrist, when he pulled up lame while running a play on offense late in the second quarter of a 105-99 loss to the Timberwolves on Wednesday.

The 25-year-old never made it to the defensive end and limped to the locker room after the Mavericks called a timeout.

Doncic entered Friday sixth in the NBA in scoring at 28.1 points per game while averaging 8.3 rebounds and 7.8 assists.

How long could Luka Doncic be out with a calf injury? Long enough to take him out of major award consideration

The absence is almost certain to be long enough to disqualify the five-time All-NBA player from consideration for that and other major awards, including MVP.

A 25-game absence would be well beyond the maximum of 15 allowed for players to remain eligible for major awards. The most games Doncic has missed in a season is 17 in 2021-22, before the participation rule went into effect.

The injury happened in Doncic’s second game back after missing two games with a left heel contusion. He also is developing a history of issues with his left calf. Doncic missed all or most of the past two preseasons while previously sitting the first three games of the 2022 playoffs.

The Mavericks, who are in fourth place in the West, are 6-2 without Doncic this season. A large reason for that is fellow backcourt star Kyrie Irving, who is averaging 24 points when Doncic sits.

Dallas also added 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 an important role in the surprising 2022 run to the West finals that started without Doncic, returned to Dallas in the offseason and will see more minutes while the Slovenian star sits.

Naji Marshall, another offseason addition, scored at least 20 points in each of the first four games Doncic missed with the sprained wrist. An illness recently sidelined Marshall four times in a stretch of five games, but he has played the past four games.

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