DALLAS — The Dallas Mavericks were defeated by the Minnesota Timberwolves 105-99 on Christmas Day. Dallas trailed 90-68 at the end of the third quarter before making things interesting, but the Mavs fell short in the end. Luka Doncic exited the game in the second quarter with a left calf strain and did not return, however.
Although Luka has played well in the 2024-25 campaign, injuries have been fairly common for him. Mavs head coach Jason Kidd addressed Doncic's injury trouble this season while speaking to reporters after the game.
“You never want anybody to get hurt or have injuries, but it’s part of the game,” Kidd said. “Hopefully this will be his last one and hopefully it’s not too serious.”
The Mavs have played at a respectable level without Doncic this season, something that speaks to Kyrie Irving's leadership and the team's overall depth. Dallas is 6-2 without Luka this year, and they almost completed an improbable come-from-behind victory on Wednesday despite his second half absence.
Still, Doncic is unquestionably a superstar and the Mavericks will need him on the floor in order to seriously compete for a championship. As Kidd said, the Mavs are hopeful that Doncic's calf injury is “not too serious.”
No official timeline has been made available as of this story's writing. The Mavs star is dealing with a calf strain, but the severity of the injury has yet to be determined. Doncic was listed as probable due to a heel injury heading into the Christmas Day contest, so injuries have been problematic for him.
The Mavericks will provide updates on Doncic's injury status as they are made available. We will continue to monitor and provide updates on the situation.
Dallas' next game is scheduled for Friday in Phoenix against the Suns, a matchup that represents the first of a four-game road trip.