Christmas was no fun for one NBA team after losing its superstar to injury.
During the Dallas Mavericks’ showdown with the Minnesota Timberwolves, star guard Luka Doncic had to exit prematurely due to a left calf injury. It was eventually revealed that the Slovenian playmaker and scorer suffered a calf strain, which could sideline him for some time.
Shams Charania of ESPN reported that the Mavericks are bracing for Doncic to “miss an extended period of time” as a result of the health setback.
Now, speaking to reporters postgame, teammate Klay Thompson and head coach Jason Kidd addressed Doncic’s injury and how his absence will affect Dallas moving forward.
“It’s kind of deflating,” Klay Thompson said, per NBA.com. “We have such a deep roster, and that’s why we can withstand this time without him.
“We obviously are not the same without Luka in the lineup. We are going to do everything we can to go on a run here without him.”
Kidd, for his part, maintains an optimistic perspective despite the obvious fact that Doncic’s injury is a huge blow to the team. The Mavs head coach remains confident that his team is more than capable of holding the fort while their $215 million superstar recovers.
“I think this is a group that can win,” Kidd confidently shared. “They believe that. And they’ve shown that. The record speaks for itself. But we also need him. He’s just been hit with some injuries here of late. Hopefully this one isn’t that serious. But we do need him if we want to win a championship.”
In the absence of Doncic, the Mavs lost to the Timberwolves 105-99 in their Christmas Day showdown. However, it is worth noting that Dallas has an encouraging 6-2 record in the eight games that Doncic has missed altogether.
It remains to be seen if the Mavs can keep winning while Doncic is sidelined, but they have a reason to be optimistic about their chances, given what they have shown so far this 2024-25 season.
