LUKA Doncic participated in his first practice in two weeks on Wednesday (Thursday in Manila), but the forward is unlikely to play when the Dallas Mavericks and Milwaukee Bucks meet in a pre-season game on Thursday (Friday in Manila).
Head coach Jason Kidd said Wednesday afternoon that Doncic did “really, really well” and is rebounding from a left calf contusion sustained during team workouts in training camp.
An MRI exam revealed no major damage, and the Mavericks prescribed a week of rest for Doncic before he resumed on-court activities.
Dallas begins the regular season next week, hosting the San Antonio Spurs on Oct. 24. But if Doncic doesn’t play when the Mavericks host Milwaukee on Thursday, the first game of the regular season against the Spurs would mark the first time Dallas has played Doncic, Kyrie Irving and Klay Thompson together.
Thompson, 34, has been on the court for multiple preseason games while dealing with back tightness. He’s off to a slow start shooting, including a 0-for-9 outing Monday against the Clippers. Thompson signed a three-year, $50 million deal in free agency and Kidd identified the sharpshooter as a critical piece of the puzzle for the reigning Western Conference champions.
Doncic, 25, is a five-time First-Team All-NBA selection. In 400 career regular-season games, he has averages of 28.7 points, 8.7 rebounds and 8.3 assists per contest.
He outdid those numbers in 2023-24, leading the league in scoring 33.9 points per game and adding a career-high 9.8 assists to go with 9.2 rebounds per game. Despite the injuries, he played in 22 postseason games, averaging 40.9 minutes, 28.9 points, 9.5 rebounds and 8.1 assists.
