The NBA Playoffs begin on Saturday live on Sky Sports: Utah Jazz @ Dallas Mavericks is on Sky Sports Max (channel 113) from 6pm; then Minnesota Timberwolves @ Memphis Grizzlies is on Sky Sports Arena from 8.30pm
Saturday 16 April 2022 17:56, UK
Luka Doncic will not play in the Dallas Mavericks' playoff opener against the Utah Jazz and may miss the second game of the series as well.
Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN confirmed the news on Friday evening, as the Slovenian has failed to recover from a calf strain.
Doncic strained his left calf late in the third quarter of what turned out to be a meaningless regular-season finale against San Antonio on Sunday and playing him in that game looks to have been costly for Jason Kidd and the Mavericks.
Doncic led the way for Dallas with 26 points, nine assists and eight rebounds in the 130-120 win but exited the game in the third quarter after turning awkwardly while retreating to help on defense.
Wojnarowski reported: "Dallas Mavericks All-Star Luka Doncic (calf strain) will be out for Game 1 vs. Utah on Saturday and significant concern remains for his availability Monday in Game 2. Mavs will play long game [with] injury and take it day-by-day after playing without him Saturday."
Dallas opens the playoffs at home Saturday against the Jazz. The fourth-seeded Mavericks have home-court advantage in the playoffs for the first time since they won their only championship in 2011. That's also the last time Dallas won a postseason series.
Doncic finished as the NBA's third-leading scorer at 28.4 points per game. He was the only player in the league to average at least 28 points, eight rebounds and eight assists per game.
The two-time All-Star wouldn't have been eligible for the finale against the Spurs if the NBA hadn't rescinded his 16th technical foul, assessed in the second-to-last game. Without the reversal, Doncic would have served a one-game suspension.
Doncic played his normal rotation, which included all of the first quarter and was supposed to be all of the third. Kidd said he would have been finished for the night after the third. The injury happened in the final three minutes of the quarter.
The two-time All-Star averaged 28.5 points, 9.1 rebounds and 8.7 assists per game this season.
The rush of live games continues on Sky Sports this week with the Play-In Tournament and start of the NBA Playoffs - see the list of games here and subscribe to watch the live action.
