The Dallas Mavericks lose their star Luka Doncic for at least a month. According to a report from ESPN, the point guard will be re-evaluated within 30 days due to the injury he suffered in his left calf during the game against the Minnesota Timberwolves on December 25. It is the third time that the Slovenian has injured his calf and, with this, he loses the opportunity to compete for the NBA MVP.
NBA rules say that players eligible for the season’s MVP award must play at least 65 games. Doncic had already missed eight games before getting injured last Wednesday and, now, with the time out that awaits him until his reevaluation, the point guard could only reach 59 games, so mathematically he has lost that award.
Dallas Mavericks star Luka Doncic will be re-evaluated in one month after sustaining a left calf strain on Christmas Day, sources tell ESPN. https://t.co/HVrzlaEzOR
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) December 27, 2024
It is the third time that the Slovenian suffers from his left calf. The first occurred during the friendly match against his former team, Real Madrid, in the month of October 2023. A reunion that the point guard could only enjoy five minutes on the court, since he was forced to play the game after being injured in previous training. Doncic’s second calf injury occurred earlier this season. The Slovenian missed the preseason and did not play in the last friendly before the start of the league season.
Now, with the point guard out for a while, Dallas opens a four-game road trip, the first of which will take place this Friday night (early morning on Saturday in Spain) against the Phoenix Suns, who also do not have their guard. Devin Booker—a groin injury has already caused him to miss three games and this Friday night he will add his fourth—.
