NBA: Mavericks star Luka Doncic uncertain for season opener due to calf strain

Doncic injured the calf during a practice on October 9 in Madrid, Spain, during the team’s 12-day overseas trip. He underwent an MRI exam after the Mavericks returned to Dallas.

Dallas Mavericks’ Luka Doncic. | Photo Credit: REUTERS

Dallas Mavericks star point guard Luka Doncic will miss Friday’s preseason finale due to a left calf strain and his status is uncertain for the team’s October 25 season opener in San Antonio against the Spurs.

Doncic injured the calf during a practice on October 9 in Madrid, Spain, during the team’s 12-day overseas trip. He underwent an MRI exam after the Mavericks returned to Dallas.

Mavericks coach Jason Kidd told reporters on Monday that Doncic’s calf strain is minor.

“He will be re-evaluated later this week,” Kidd said.

One day after the initial injury, Doncic played just five minutes (scoring nine points) before exiting against Real Madrid, his former club from 2015-18. Real Madrid won the game 127-123.

Kidd said shooting guard Kyrie Irving is progressing from a left groin injury. Irving missed the final two games of the overseas trip.

“He was good,” Kidd said of Irving. “We’ll see how he feels tomorrow and go from there.”

Doncic, a four-time All-Star, averaged a career-best 32.4 points per game last season while also contributing 8.6 rebounds and 8.0 assists in 66 games.

This will be the first full-season pairing of Doncic and Irving, the latter an eight-time All-Star with a 23.4 career scoring average. Irving averaged 27 points in 20 games with Dallas last season after being acquired from the Brooklyn Nets.