The Dallas Mavericks haven’t yet revealed how long star guard Luka Doncic will be sidelined after he injured his left calf on Christmas Day.
But this much is known: Doncic won’t be on the court when the Mavericks open a four-game road swing against the Phoenix Suns on Friday night.
Doncic strained the calf on a seemingly harmless play during the second quarter of a 105-99 loss to the visiting Minnesota Timberwolves. He reportedly was slated to undergo an MRI exam on Thursday.
Some reports have floated that Doncic will be out for an extended time and Dallas players are bracing to be without the squad’s top player.
“It’s an opportunity for one (or more) of us to step up,” Dallas guard Klay Thompson told reporters. “It can be done. He’s obviously our best player, but we got to be tested, and this is a good test ahead.”
Doncic has missed eight games this season, and the Mavericks fared well without him, going 6-2. One of the victories was on the road against the powerful Oklahoma City Thunder, when P.J. Washington stepped up with season highs of 27 points and 17 rebounds.
Dallas coach Jason Kidd is counting on his team maintaining its current level of play. The loss to the Timberwolves was just the team’s fourth in the past 18 games.
“I think this is a group that can win, and they believe that,” Kidd said. “But we also need him.”
Him is Doncic, who is averaging 28.1 points, 8.3 rebounds and 7.8 assists in 22 games this season. Last season, the 25-year-old finished third in MVP voting, his third top-five finish in the past five seasons.
Doncic scored 14 points in 16 minutes before exiting against the Timberwolves. Dallas trailed by as many as 28 in the game before staging a big comeback bid that fell short.
The Mavericks’ Kyrie Irving took over with 39 points, his second-best output of the season.
Mavericks big man Dereck Lively II (left hip) is questionable for Friday. He had six points and 10 rebounds in 30 minutes against Minnesota.
After the stop in Phoenix, Dallas visits the Portland Trail Blazers on Saturday, the Sacramento Kings on Monday and the Houston Rockets on Wednesday.
Phoenix will also be without a star as guard Devin Booker (left groin strain) will miss his fourth straight game.
The Suns snapped a three-game slide with an impressive 110-100 home victory over the Denver Nuggets on Wednesday night.
Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal each scored 27 points as Phoenix avenged a 117-90 road loss to the Nuggets on Monday.
The lethargic effort in Denver led Suns coach Mike Budenholzer to challenge the squad.
It was a good reminder to the club to do the little things if the scoring isn’t up to par.
“When you can’t make shots or you just (are) in a little hole as a team, just that physicality and that energy is a good remedy to get you out of that little hole that you (are) in,” Suns forward Kevin Durant said.
The Suns also displayed a higher level of energy that had been missing in recent games.
“Honestly man, if you look at all those games, that’s why we lost — just weren’t having fun,” Beal said. “Weren’t enjoying it, just pressing trying to make the perfect play. … I think just finding that joy, it uplifts you in every category of the game.”
Suns reserve guard Grayson Allen remains in concussion protocol and will miss his third consecutive game.
Phoenix is 2-0 against the Mavericks this season, having posted a 114-102 home win on Oct. 26 and a 114-113 road victory on Nov. 8. Durant averaged 28.5 points in the games. Doncic averaged 35 points for Dallas.
–Field Level Media
