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Mavericks Injury Report: Luka Doncic Out Against Pistons With Calf Strain

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James Foglio
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James Foglio Sports Editor

James is a Basketball Insiders contributor. He earned his bachelor's degree in English and Creative Writing from Southern New Hampshire University. James enjoys watching sports and helping gamblers win money.

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Sports Editor

Updated17 Oct 2023

Dallas Mavericks Injury Report Luka Doncic Out Against Detroit Pistons With Calf Strain

According to the Dallas Mavericks injury report, Luka Doncic suffered a mild left calf strain last week in Spain and has been ruled out of Friday’s preseason finale against the Detroit Pistons, coach Jason Kidd said after Monday’s practice.

Kidd said Doncic would be “re-evaluated later” and believes the four-time All-Star could be available for the Mavericks’ Oct. 25 regular-season opener on the road against the San Antonio Spurs.

Per a few NBA betting sites, the Dallas Mavericks hold 10th-shortest odds to win next season’s 2024 championship. Sportsbooks are showing better odds for the Los Angeles Lakers, Golden State Warriors, and Los Angeles Clippers.


Luka Doncic, 24, suffered the injury in Dallas’ Oct. 9 practice in Madrid. This news explains why the 6-foot-7 guard was limited to five minutes in the Mavericks’ 127-123 preseason loss to Real Madrid.

Furthermore, Dallas opened its 2023-24 preseason with back-to-back losses to the Minnesota Timberwolves in Abu Dhabi. Following the 12-day overseas trip, Doncic underwent an MRI to diagnose the injury.

Dallas Mavericks injury report: Luka Doncic (calf strain) out against Detroit Pistons for preseason finale

The four-time All-NBA member noted that his injury is “nothing serious” during his postgame interview in Madrid. Doncic “was limited to riding the exercise bike and spot shooting during Monday’s practice,” per ESPN’s Tim MacMahon. 

Of course, the left calf strain he suffered in the 2021-22 regular-season finale sidelined Doncic for 12 days, causing him to miss the first three games of the Mavs’ first-round series win over the Utah Jazz.

In the 2022-23 season, Doncic averaged career highs of 32.4 points, 1.4 steals, and 36.2 minutes per game while also shooting a career-best 49.6% from the field.


Additionally, four of Doncic’s five career 50-point games were posted last season. On Dec. 27, 2022, in the Mavericks’ 126-121 win against the New York Knicks, the Slovenian hooper posted career highs of 60 points and 21 rebounds in 48 minutes played.

The Dallas guard became the first player in NBA history to record at least 60 points, 20 boards, and 10 assists in a single game. In the 1986-87 season, Michael Jordan tallied eight 50-point games, two of which were 61-point efforts versus the Detroit Pistons (March 4, 1987) and Atlanta Hawks (April 16).

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