Dallas Mavs' Luka Doncic Gives Injury Update Following Real Madrid Loss: 'Nothing Serious'
Less than 48 hours after Dallas Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd told reporters in Abu Dhabi that "health" had been one of the biggest positives from the international preseason trip, a left calf strain limited Luka Doncic to just five minutes of action during his Real Madrid homecoming on Tuesday. It is the same injury that forced Doncic to miss the first three games of the 2022 postseason, although it's likely less severe than that one.
Following a 127-123 upset loss to Real Madrid, one that dropped the Mavs to 0-3 in the preseason, Doncic claimed that his calf injury is "nothing serious." Given that preseason play means more for younger players and newcomers finding a rhythm with their new team, the Mavs are likely just being as cautious as they can with Doncic with the 2023-24 season being just two weeks away.
“I was waiting for this game all summer,” said Doncic, who was honored along with his 2018 EuroLeague champion Real Madrid teammates during the game. “With the exception of not being able to play more, it was all very special. The whole day was very special.”
Luka Doncic suffered a left calf strain in the 2021-22 season finale that forced him to miss the first three games of the Dallas Mavericks' first-round series against the Utah Jazz that year.
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Last season, Doncic and his co-star Kyrie Irving took turns battling nagging injuries in the final two months, ultimately resulting in the Mavs missing the playoffs for the first time in three years. Although Dallas has improved both its talent and depth from what it had seven months ago, the goal is to do everything possible to avoid being in that situation again.
Irving, after playing just 14 minutes in the Mavs' first preseason game against the Minnesota Timberwolves in Abu Dhabi, sat out the last two with "groin soreness."
Whether these injuries are truly nothing to worry about or not, the Mavs are happy to have 10 days off until their final preseason game against the Detroit Pistons on Oct. 20 at American Airlines Center. After that, the regular season will open for Dallas at the San Antonio Spurs on Oct. 25, and hopefully, basketball fans everywhere will get to see a healthy Doncic-Irving duo go up against rookie sensation Victor Wembanyama.
