In a cruel twist of fate, Luka Doncic of the Dallas Mavericks injured himself during a game he wasn’t supposed to play in.
Doncic was initially barred from playing in his team’s final regular-season game because of a 16th technical foul he received earlier in the week.
But the league rescinded his tech and allowed him to play.
Sadly, it was during this game that Doncic injured himself and experienced a left calf strain.
The injury couldn’t have come at a worse time, as the Mavs are set to take on the Utah Jazz this Saturday in the first round of the playoffs.
I was told that the Mavs are not ready to make any determination on Luka Doncic’s availability for Saturday’s Game 1.
— Tim MacMahon (@espn_macmahon) April 11, 2022
There was hope that an MRI on Monday would give the team better insight into Doncic’s status and if he can or can’t play in game one of the series.
Unfortunately, the team didn’t give an update to fans on Monday and no one really knows the specifics of Doncic’s availability.
How Long For Luka?
Calf strains are tricky and every player recovers from them differently.
Generally, most guys are usually back on the floor in a few weeks.
Of course, Doncic could rehab faster – or slower – than that.
Regardless, the chances of him participating in Game 1 against the Jazz are slim.
That doesn’t mean the Mavericks can’t win without Doncic.
They have found some success this season even when Doncic was sidelined (8-9 without him) and the Jazz haven’t been performing very well lately.
But there is no doubt the team wishes Doncic could make an ultra-speedy recovery.
Some fear that Doncic might not miss only the first round but possibly the second too.
If that’s the case, the Mavericks could be in a lot of trouble.
NEXT: NBA Writer Shares Latest Luka Doncic Injury Update