The Dallas Mavericks took the court for a preseason game on Tuesday, and they lost to Real Madrid, 127-123, as they gave up 37 points in the fourth quarter.
Luka Doncic played just five minutes because of a calf injury, and although he did manage to score nine points, he said he was upset his playing time was limited, via HoopsHype.
Luka Doncic: “Nobody wanted to play more than me.”
“I was very pissed off I couldn’t play more.”
— HoopsHype (@hoopshype) October 10, 2023
For Dallas, Tim Hardaway Jr. led the way offensively off the bench with 21 points, while Dante Exum added nine assists and newcomer Grant Williams contributed with eight points, nine rebounds, four assists, and two blocked shots.
There is no need to push an injured player such as Doncic this early, especially with an ailment such as a calf injury that could lead to a much more serious injury, such as a torn Achilles.
He is coming off a season in which he averaged a career-high 32.4 points a game while earning his fourth straight All-Star and All-NBA First-Team nod.
The Mavs have lost each of their first three exhibition games this year — they previously dropped two contests to the Minnesota Timberwolves by the scores of 111-99 and 104-96.
They’re looking to rebound after a disastrous 2022-23 campaign in which they missed the play-in tournament despite trading for eight-time All-Star guard Kyrie Irving back in February.
Dallas is hoping a full training camp with Doncic and Irving together will result in not only a return to the playoffs but a deep playoff run, much like the one they had in 2022 when they went to the Western Conference Finals.
NEXT: Luka Doncic Reflects On His Journey From Europe To The NBA