In what should have been a thrilling Christmas Day rematch of last season’s Western Conference Finals, the Dallas Mavericks came storming back from a 28 point deficit to the Minnesota Timberwolves late in the third quarter to come within one missed Kyrie Irving three-

point shot from taking the lead and possibly winning the game. Irving finished with 39 points including conversions on five of 14 attempts from beyond the arc, but his miss on a three-point attempt in the final minute sealed the game for Minnesota, who came away with a 105-99 victory in Dallas.

But the real news from the game, news that was nothing but bad for the Mavericks and their 25-year-old Slovenian superstar Luka Doncic, came late in the second quarter when Doncic limped off the court after what appeared to be a non-contact injury.

Calf Strain Once Again Sidelines Slovenian Star

According to EPSN senior NBA insider Shams Charania, the Doncic injury was reported to be a “calf strain.” The five-time All NBA first team selection was expected to get an MRI on the injury December 26. But Charania reported the Mavericks were already “bracing” for Doncic to sit out “an extended period of time.”

The injury was reported to be to Doncic’s left calf. During training camp in early October, Doncic took what the team described as “a hit” during practice and suffered a contusion to his left calf that led to his missing much of that training camp. Whether the latest injury, which appeared to happen as Doncic was trying to make a play with less than three minutes remaining in the half, is related to the October contusion was not certain as of Thursday morning.

After passing the ball to a teammate, Doncic remained immobile until the Mavericks called a timeout with 2:31 remaining. The 2018-2019 NBA Rookie of the Year then walked to the locker room with a visible limp.

Doncic also missed much of the 2023-2024 preseason with a left calf injury, which also caused him to sit out the first three Mavericks playoff games in 2022.

The Christmas Day game was only the second back in action for Doncic who had previously skipped two games with a contusion to his left heel. So far this season, he also missed five games with a right wrist sprain. Doncic has missed eight games in total to this point but Dallas is 6-2 in those games. The latest injury appears to be the worst yet and puts Doncic’s and the Mavericks’ season in doubt going forward.

Kidd: Mavs Need Doncic if They Want Championship

“This is a group that can win. They believe that. And they’ve shown that,” Dallas coach Jason Kidd said after the game. “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 just 16 minutes prior to his injury against Minnesota, Doncic scored 14 points and grabbed five rebounds. He converted on three of five three-point attempts.

For several NBA star players, this Christmas was not a merry one. In addition to Doncic, the Los Angeles Lakers’ Anthony Davis, the Boston Celtics’ Kristaps Porzingis, and the Denver Nuggets’ Aaron Gordon all departed their respective games with injuries.

The injury to Doncic is believed to be the most serious of the group. Whether it will cost him the remainder of the Mavericks’ season, or if not, how much time he will miss had yet to be determined on Thursday.

Jonathan Vankin JONATHAN VANKIN is an award-winning journalist and writer who now covers baseball and other sports for Heavy.com. He twice won New England Press Association awards for sports feature writing. Vankin is also the author of five nonfiction books on a variety of topics, as well as nine graphic novels including most recently “Last of the Gladiators” published by Dynamite Entertainment. More about Jonathan Vankin