The Dallas Mavericks fell to the Utah Jazz in Game 1 of their opening playoff series on Saturday afternoon. This was largely due to their star in Luka Doncic being sidelined with a calf strain. An injury suffered in the final game of the regular season, it’s still unclear if or when he will return to action in the first round.
As Doncic continues to work towards a return, he’s now spent the last two days doing light workouts in Dallas. On Sunday afternoon, he appeared to look better but was still nowhere near full strength.
“We’ll see how he feels tomorrow,” said Mavs coach Jason Kidd after practice on Sunday. Kidd wouldn’t commit to whether or not Doncic would suit up in tomorrow’s game.
Shortly after practice on Sunday, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported that Doncic is “unlikely” to play in Game 2 on Monday barring a dramatic improvement leading up to the contest.
This would be a huge blow for the Mavericks, who need Doncic to get anywhere close to their ceiling as a team. One of the best players in the entire NBA, his health will dictate the success of Dallas in the postseason. The Mavericks have also listed Doncic as doubtful to play in Game 2.
If the Mavs aren’t able to pull off a win on Monday, they’ll head to Utah for Game 3 and Game 4 on the road in an 0-2 hole. Even if Doncic were able to return at that point, it would be an uphill battle to win the series.
