Luka Doncic's status for Game 2 still undecided

The Dallas Mavericks lost Game 1 of their first round series against the Utah Jazz, but they aren’t going to rush Luka Doncic back. Despite being down, Mavs coach Jason Kidd said Luka Doncic’s status is still undecided for Game 2. The Dallas star is recovering from a strained left calf. The Mavericks offense struggled mightily against the Jazz. Dallas shot just 38.2% and scored only 93 points. That’s well off their regular season marks of 46.1% and 108 points.
Source: RealGM

What’s the buzz on Twitter?

Chuck Cooperstein @coopmavs
Mavs list Doncic as doubtful for Game 2 vs Utah. 7:00 P w/@PeasRadio. 7:40 tip w/Brad & me. @theeagledallas – 6:12 PM Jorge Sierra @hoopshype
MVP award ranking, per our NBA awards poll among media member
1. Nikola Jokic
2. Joel Embiid
3. Giannis Antetokounmpo
4. Devin Booker
5. Luka Doncic
6. Jayson Tatum – 5:08 PM Mark Followill @MFollowill
The Mavs are listing Luka as doubtful for Game 2 vs Utah tomorrow night. He did some light on-court work at practice today. – 5:07 PM David Locke @DLocke09
Mavericks Injury Report (as of 4/17)
DOUBTFUL – Luka Doncic (left calf strain)
OUT – Tim Hardaway Jr. (left foot surgery)
OUT – Frank Ntilikina (illness recovery) – 5:04 PM Eric Walden @tribjazz
Luka Doncic is DOUBTFUL to play Game 2 vs. the Jazz on Monday. – 5:01 PM Mark Medina @MarkG_Medina
Mavericks list Luka Doncic as doubtful for Game 2 vs the Jazz – 4:59 PM The Vertical @YahooSportsNBA
Luka Doncic ‘unlikely’ to play in Game 2 vs. Jazz with calf strain.
https://t.co/r8PhRxl4hV pic.twitter.com/FBYwNrtkc7 – 4:02 PM Callie Caplan @CallieCaplan
Mavs’ Luka Doncic (calf injury) is shooting, ‘able to do more,’ but Game 2 return remains unlikely dallasnews.com/sports/maveric… – 3:37 PM Shaun Powell @Powell2daPeople
Luka getting hurt in the last game of the regular season will only encourage teams to keep load-managing stars who are difference-makers. – 2:58 PM Tim Cato @tim_cato
Jason Kidd and the Mavericks used the regular season as a test tube, and they should have been the team opponents have to adjust to. without Luka in Game 1, there simply weren’t enough options: theathletic.com/3253877/2022/0… – 2:54 PM Adrian Wojnarowski @wojespn
ESPN story with @Tim MacMahon on Luka Doncic’s unlikely availability for Game 2 vs. Utah: es.pn/3rTZF5Z – 2:30 PM Eddie Sefko @ESefko
Jason Kidd on Luka: “Yesterday was another good day, and today he’s back on the court, so that’s a plus. And we’ll see how he feels tomorrow.” Luka did light shooting, no apparent jumping. Progress, but pushing off hard on a calf muscle that was strained a week ago is different. – 2:25 PM Eurohoops @Eurohoopsnet
Luka Doncic “unlikely” to play in Game 2 vs. Jazz
eurohoops.net/en/nba-news/13… – 2:23 PM Emiliano Carchia @Sportando
Mavericks’ Luka Doncic status is not yet determined for Game 2
sportando.basketball/en/mavericks-l… – 2:13 PM Tim MacMahon @espn_macmahon
Jason Kidd after Luka Doncic did light shooting for the second straight day: “Yesterday was another good day, and today he’s back on the court, so that’s a plus. And we’ll see how he feels tomorrow.” – 1:23 PM Eddie Sefko @ESefko
WNBA camps open today so Kristi Toliver gets up some shots after Mavs practice. In the background is Luka getting some shots of his own. pic.twitter.com/RIDizapJTP – 1:12 PM Dwain Price @DwainPrice
Luka not REALLY doing Luka things. But at least he’s on rhe court. pic.twitter.com/DGeFSwn7Pc – 1:11 PM Callie Caplan @CallieCaplan
👀👀
He’s not jumping and haven’t gotten an update from Jason Kidd yet, but this is the first time I’ve seen Luka Doncic on a basketball court since he strained his calf last Sunday. pic.twitter.com/bBXeeaFIbq – 1:06 PM Tim MacMahon @espn_macmahon
More of Luka Doncic’s light on-court work: pic.twitter.com/CXRnU3Lhpf – 1:05 PM Chuck Cooperstein @coopmavs
For those wondering, Mavs have until 5 PM today to enter Luka’s condition on the injury report – 1:02 PM Dwain Price @DwainPrice
Luka is doing some basketball stuff today. He missed Game 1 with a left calf strain. pic.twitter.com/t77N2b0guy – 12:54 PM Eddie Sefko @ESefko
A bit limited, but at least there is a Luka sighting on the court. pic.twitter.com/EY6FnsKwpI – 12:52 PM Tim MacMahon @espn_macmahon
Some extremely light on-court work for Luka Doncic: pic.twitter.com/BCBaHBiitj – 12:50 PM Tim MacMahon @espn_macmahon
Luka Doncic is in the weight room area again as the Mavs open practice to the media. We will ask Jason Kidd in a bit about what, if any, basketball activities Doncic did today. – 12:35 PM Chuck Cooperstein @coopmavs
Looking to G2, 5x this season, Mavs have played an opponent in consecutive games. 4x they have split. 3 of their 4 wins came in the 2nd of those games (Adjustments?). Only loss was vs LAC in Feb. Only time they were swept was at PHX. Luka played neither game (Ominous sign?). – 11:48 AM Justin Kubatko @jkubatko
Anthony Edwards yesterday:
36 PTS
6 AST
2 BLK
Only three players have scored more points in their NBA playoff debut:
42 – Luka Doncic
38 – John Williamson
37 – George Mikan
All three had prior professional playoff experience (EuroLeague, ABA, and NBL, respectively). pic.twitter.com/PUb2Qk9SRJ – 10:11 AM Jorge Sierra @hoopshype
Best playoff scoring debuts ever
1. Luka Doncic 42 points
2. John Williamson: 38
3. George Mikan 37
4. ANTHONY EDWARDS: 36 – 2:25 AM Ryan McDonald @ryanwmcdonald
How the Dallas Mavericks are feeling after their near-win in Game 1 without Luka Doncic https://t.co/JARTdKUazz pic.twitter.com/p4NUNpMuhc – 9:04 PM Mike Lynch @SportInfo247
Most Points in Team’s playoff opener by player 21 or younger per @Stathead
Luka – 42 in 2020
Tyrese Maxey – 38 today
Anthony Edwards – 36 today
Derrick Rose – 36 in 2009
stathead.com/tiny/10jtj – 8:46 PM Callie Caplan @CallieCaplan
From @TimCowlishaw: I was wrong, the Mavericks can’t beat the Jazz without Luka Doncic dallasnews.com/sports/maveric… – 8:39 PM Callie Caplan @CallieCaplan
I’d like to echo what Luka Doncic said as the Mavs walked out of Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee a couple weeks ago:
More games that end when it’s still light out, please. – 7:47 PM Dan Favale @danfavale
nba players during the three-point era to go for 35+ pts and 5+ assists on 60+ ts% in their playoff debut (via @stathead):
—chris paul (2008)
—derrick rose (2009)
—luka doncic (2020)
—anthony edwards (2022)
pic.twitter.com/jKubPi055W – 6:35 PM Dane Moore @DaneMooreNBA
One in the bag for the Wolves…
Wolves 130, Grizzlies 117
36 points for Anthony Edwards in a Luka-like playoffs debut for the 20 year-old.
Looking forward to chopping this all up with @Britt Robson for the postgame pod. – 6:32 PM Callie Caplan @CallieCaplan
“When they was up nine or eight in the fourth quarter, Luka was telling us we still can win the game. That really helped us, too, because we battled.
Luka Doncic gave his all spectating, but Mavs missed his magic in failed comeback attempt vs. Jazz dallasnews.com/sports/maveric… – 6:29 PM Kurt Helin @basketballtalk
Uneven Jazz top Luka Doncic-less Mavericks in Game 1 nba.nbcsports.com/2022/04/16/une… – 4:14 PM Tim MacMahon @espn_macmahon
Mavs G Spencer Dinwiddie: “We had a chance to win the game and we didn’t do it.” He takes blame for missing six free throws, but Dinwiddie considers this an encouraging performance, proof the Mavs can compete vs. Jazz without Luka Doncic. – 4:01 PM Andy Larsen @andyblarsen
Jazz win an important Game 1 in Dallas, 99-93.
Mitchell scored 32, 30 in the 2H. Bogdanovic had an efficient 26 points.
Mavs really struggled to score without Luka. Gobert was dominant defensively — probably the best performance by a player without a basket you’ll ever see. – 3:45 PM Bill Ingram @TheRocketGuy
Instead of Bullock and Brunson missing those two shots it will be Luka burying them next game… #Mavs – 3:44 PM Dan Favale @danfavale
luka approves pic.twitter.com/rZr3WYqn1Q – 3:33 PM Rylan Stiles @Rylan_Stiles
I don’t think the Mavs will get a better shot than this to beat Utah without Luka. Likely down 0-2 when he returns, but even at that point it doesn’t feel like the series is over. – 3:26 PM Michael Dugat @mdug
Without Luka, the Mavs are simply at a talent deficiency to Utah. Winning isn’t impossible, but it’s a hell of a lot less likely. That injury continues to be so incredibly frustrating. – 2:53 PM John Hollinger @johnhollinger
In case it wasn’t already obvious, Dallas is drawing dead without Luka. Jazz aren’t even playing particularly well. – 2:53 PM Nate Duncan @NateDuncanNBA
Talked about this last night on our series outlook with @Danny Leroux. Luka is amazing, but part of why his loss hurts so much if they have nobody remotely competent to play more mins outside their top 7. Josh Green is absolutely killing their offense. – 2:47 PM Michael Dugat @mdug
Bullock cannot hit only 1-of-5 threes, especially with Luka out. They’ve almost all been good looks. It just kills the offense. – 2:47 PM Andy Larsen @andyblarsen
Luka walking across the court at halftime. No limp detected. pic.twitter.com/jDCoT3ZejB – 2:27 PM David Locke @DLocke09
No Luka impact
1st Quarter
Mavs with Dinwiddie and Brunson were 7 of 14 and +6
Mavs with Brunson only were 2 of 7 and -4
Mavs with Dinwiddie only were 0-1 and +1
So 7 of 14 in 1st quarter with both 2 of 8 with just one on the floor – 2:27 PM Brad Townsend @townbrad
Utah finished the half by scoring 13 of the last 15 points to take a 45-43 lead.
Glass half-full view: Mavs before the game probably would have thought a 2-point game at halftime was a plus for them. Half-empty: Utah might have taken Dallas’ best Doncic-less shot. – 2:14 PM Marc Stein @TheSteinLine
Donovan Mitchell has only managed to outscore the sidelined Luka Doncic 2-0 in the first half … but Utah has snatched a 45-43 halftime lead with lots of Bojan Bogdanovic and the usual Rudy Gobert rim presence. Ten points each for Brunson/Dinwiddie but NOT on high efficiency. – 2:12 PM

More on this storyline

Tim MacMahon: Mavs announce that Luka Doncic is doubtful for Game 2. -via Twitter @espn_macmahon / April 17, 2022 Dallas Mavericks superstar Luka Doncic remains unlikely to play in Monday’s Game 2 against the Utah Jazz as he progresses in his recovery from a strained left calf, sources told ESPN. Doncic has yet to be ruled out, but sources said he would have to make dramatic improvement in the next 24 hours to be cleared to play. Doncic did light shooting for the second consecutive day on Sunday, a sign of progress in his recovery from a strained left calf, but coach Jason Kidd said that his status for Game 2 was yet to be determined. -via ESPN / April 17, 2022 “If he can’t play, we have to go forward,” Kidd said. “We showed that already in Game 1. If it happens in Game 2, then that’s the way we have to go. That’s just the way sport can be sometimes. “Injuries come at the wrong time. Luka’s injury came at the wrong time, but we can’t cry over spilled milk. We’re all professionals and we understand what the situation is. If he can go, that doesn’t automatically mean we’re going to win games, but we feel better if he is on the floor. Hopefully, he can get on the floor soon.” -via ESPN / April 17, 2022