DALLAS – Dallas Mavericks superstar Luka Doncic left the Christmas game against the Minnesota Timberwolves late in the second quarter due to a left calf strain.
Doncic was ruled out for the remainder of the match at halftime.
Doncic, who recently missed two games due to a left heel contusion, grimaced in pain as he planted that foot after picking up his dribble. He immediately looked at the Mavs’ bench and indicated he was hurt.
Doncic was unable to return defense on the ensuing possession and limped straight to the locker room to be evaluated after Dallas called a timeout with 2:31 left in the half.
Doncic scored 14 points in 16 minutes against Minnesota. He entered the game averaging 28.8 points, 8.5 rebounds and 8.1 assists per game.
Doncic has a history of injuries to that calf. He recently missed all of training camp and this year’s preseason due to a left calf contusion. This is the third time in recent years that Doncic has strained the calf. He missed the first three games of the 2022 playoffs after coming under pressure in the regular-season finale and was sidelined for most of last year’s preseason after coming under pressure during training in Madrid.
Doncic, a first-team All-NBA selection the past five seasons, has already missed eight games this season.