Mavs star Luka Dončić will be out for almost a month before dealing with a calf injury

Dallas Mavericks star Luka Dončić will be out for about a month before being re-evaluated with a calf injury sustained during the Christmas Day loss at Minnesota, a person with knowledge of the injury said Friday.

Dončić underwent an MRI on his left calf, the person told The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because details of the injury had not been released.

The absence is almost certain to be long enough to remove the five-time All-NBA player from consideration for that and other major awards, including MVP.

Dončić had already missed eight games, including five with a sprained right hand, when he limped off while playing with a foul late in the second quarter of a 105-99 loss to the Timberwolves on Wednesday.

The 25-year-old never made it to the defensive end and hobbled to the locker room after the Mavericks called a timeout.

The defending Western Conference champion Mavericks play 17 games next month, starting Friday night in Phoenix. Dončić entered Friday sixth in the NBA in scoring at 28.1 points per game while averaging 8.3 rebounds and 7.8 assists.

Absences of 25 games would be more than the maximum of 15 allowed for players to remain eligible for the big prizes. Dončić will miss most of the 17 games in the 2021-22 season, before the participation rule comes into effect.

The injury occurred in Dončić’s second game after missing two games with a sprained left heel. He is also developing a history of problems with his left calf. Doncic missed all or most of the past two preseasons while sitting out the first three games of the 2022 playoffs.

The Mavericks, who are in fourth place in the West, are 6-2 without Dončić this season. The main reason for that is star guard Kyrie Irving, who averages 24 points when Dončić sits.

Dallas also added four-time NBA champion Klay Thompson from Golden State in the offseason, and his 3-point threat makes it easy to survive without Dončić.

Spencer Dinwiddie, a key player in 2022’s surprising run to the Western Conference that began without Dončić, returned to Dallas in the offseason and will see more minutes while the Slovenian star sits.

Naji Marshall, another offseason addition, scored at least 20 points in each of the first four games Dončić missed with a wrist injury. Illness has recently sidelined Marshall four times in five games, but he has played in the last four games.

It is reported by the Associated Press.

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