Luka Dončić’s status for the Mavericks’ playoff opener on Saturday is up in the air after an MRI confirmed Monday he is dealing with a left calf strain, according to ESPN’s Tim MacMahon.
There is reportedly no timetable set for Dončić’s return. MacMahon also noted that Dallas is not ready to make a final call on the star guard’s availability for Game 1 against the Jazz.
Dončić exited Sunday night’s regular season finale against the Spurs in noticeable pain after injuring his calf while jumping to make a pass; he did not return to the game after asking for a timeout with 2:24 remaining in the third quarter. Dallas went on to win the game, 130–120.
While the Mavs would much rather prefer Dončić in uniform come Saturday, the team has shown its still capable of competing when the three-time All-Star has missed time this season.
Dallas is 8–9 with Dončić out of the lineup, going 4–3 at home and a 4–6 on the road. The club will have home court advantage throughout its first-round matchup against Utah.
The fourth-seeded Mavericks will face the fifth-seeded Jazz at American Airlines Center at 1 p.m. ET in a matchup that will air on ABC. Dallas has been eliminated in the first round six times since winning the NBA championship in 2011.
