Luka Doncic suffers calf injury and is not likely to play in Mavericks’ playoff opener

Despite the victory over the San Antonio Spurs, the Dallas Mavericks secured the fourth seed in the Western Conference heading into the NBA playoffs, but Luka Doncic may not be physically ready once Game 1 of the series against the Utah Jazz arrives this weekend. After leaving the game with clear agony in his left calf near the end of the third quarter, the Slovenian did not return to the court.

Luka Doncic’s current physical condition

Doncic underwent an MRI scan to determine the severity of his injury, and the only information available so far is that he is wearing a protective boot around the injured area on his left leg; this might be for simple precaution or because the damage is more serious than expected.

@Mavs_FFL @All_Things_Mavs @MavsFilmRoom @1053thefan @fishsports A friend happened to see Luka at the hospital walking with a boot on. Said it didn’t look good and he was grimacing pic.twitter.com/7BeqXzQb1R

— DFW Sports (@DFWSports4) April 11, 2022

The 23-year-old forward will have about a week to recuperate if it is a mild sprain, with Game 1 of the Dallas-Utah series taking place this Saturday. Otherwise, the usual minimum recovery period for this type of injury is at least two weeks, with the possibility of it extending up to a full month or even longer. This injury undoubtedly came at the worst time of the season for the Mavericks.

Doncic is undoubtedly the leader of the Jason Kidd-led team, averaging 28.4 points, 9.1 rebounds, 8.7 assists and 1.2 steals with 45.7% efficiency from the field, 35.3% in three-pointers through 65 games in the 2021-2022 edition of the NBA, along with his third selection to the All-Star Game. Their performance and leadership is the main reason Dallas secured fourth place with a 52-30 record and had a chance to take third place in the standings from the Golden State Warriors (53-29) during the final games of the regular season.

If Doncic misses time in the playoffs, the Mavs will put more emphasis on point guards Jalen Brunson and Spencer Dinwiddie, hoping that they can fill in for Luka’s scoring and playmaking against the Utah Jazz, who don’t have the strongest perimeter defense in the league.

There have only been 7 seasons in NBA history where a player has averaged:

28+ PPG
9+ RPG
8+ APG

Luka Dončić already has 2 of those seasons in 4 years.#MuseTakeover pic.twitter.com/9bJpnwbtg8

— StatMuse (@statmuse) April 11, 2022

If they were to lose Luka Doncic, would the Dallas Mavericks have a chance to advance? Or would they be eliminated by the Utah Jazz in the first round of the playoffs?