The Dallas Mavericks announced on Tuesday that there is no timetable for Luka Doncic's return after suffering an injury on April 10.
The team said Tuesday that the 23-year-old superstar had begun treatment.
Doncic had been on a one-game suspension after receiving his 16th technical foul on April 8 which would have not allowed him to play in the April 10 game against the Spurs.
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.
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“He’s in great spirits today,” coach Jason Kidd said after Tuesday’s practice. “We’ll see how his body feels tomorrow. I think we’ll prepare with him and we’ll also prepare without him.”
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The two-time All-Star wouldn’t have been eligible for the finale against the Spurs if the NBA hadn’t rescinded his 16th technical foul, assessed in the second-to-last game.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.
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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.
There was no sign of Doncic during the portion of practice open to reporters. Fellow guard Spencer Dinwiddie said he “looked fine to me,” and Jalen Brunson said he was optimistic Doncic would play. Brunson will be the starting point guard if Doncic is out.
“I hope for the best,” Brunson said. “I mean, that’s our organization right there.”
The Mavericks play Utah Jazz Saturday in the first round of the NBA playoffs. The Mavs are not required to list Doncic's status for that game until Friday at 5 p.m.
Below is the schedule released late Tuesday night.
Game 1: Saturday, Jazz at Mavericks (noon, ESPN)
Game 2: April 18, Jazz at Mavericks (7:30 p.m., NBATV)
Game 3: April 21, Mavericks at Jazz (8 p.m., NBATV)
Game 4: April 23, Mavericks at Jazz (3:30 p.m., TNT)
