Luka Dončić, the Slovenian player and star of Dallas Mavericks, suffered a calf injury during Christmas Day match, that ended in a 105-99 defeat to Minnesota Timberwolves. Mavs were able to trim a 28-point deficit to just two in the final minute, but it ended up being not enough.
Dončić suffered his inury during the second quarter, after stepping on his left foot after a dribble. He signaled the bench asking to be replaced, with a painful look on his face. He later left the stadium in crutches.
The worst omens about Dončić were confirmed by ESPN, claiming that the point guard will be out for at least a month. He will be reevaluated in 30 days, but there's no guarantee he will be fit to play by then.
Dončić suffered his inury during the second quarter, after steppeing on his left foot after a dribble. He signaled the bench asking to be replaced, with a painful look on his face. He later left the stadium in crutches.
Luka Dončić will miss on the All-NBA team for the first time in five years
This isn't the first time Luka suffers on his left calf. In fact, it's the third time he sufferes an injury there. He missed most of the preseason this year, including the friendlies, because of a left calf contusion. The same happened in 2023.
Bad news for Dallas Mavericks, currently fourth on the West Conference, and worse news for Doncic, who will miss his chances of aspiting to win the MVP award and All-NBA. NBA rules dictate players need to be present in at least 65 games. Dončić has already missed eight games, and with this injury he will miss at least nine, but probably more: the Mavs are already bracing for a "prolonged abscence".
Since he joined Mavericks from Real Madrid in 2018, Dončić has been in the NBA All-NBA team every year since 2020, which picks the best five players of the season. This year he was well place to become the MVP, with an average of 28.1 points, 8.3 rebounds and 7.8 assists per game.