Mavericks star Luka Doncic (calf) ruled out for Game 3 vs. Jazz, Jason Kidd says

The Mavericks’ wait to see Luka Doncic’s debut in this season’s playoffs will continue past Thursday night.

The Mavs star will remain sidelined by his calf injury for Game 3 against the Utah Jazz, coach Jason Kidd said during his pregame media availability.

“He continues to progress,” Kidd said. “We said from the start of his injury we would be cautious, and we feel like sitting him tonight follows that plan.”

Kidd said Doncic pushed himself hard and “did everything” in his early afternoon workout and so far feels fine. Game 4 is scheduled for 3:30 p.m. Saturday.

After the team’s morning shootaround — about eight hours before tipoff — Kidd said Doncic would go through his normal pregame routine before a decision was made, but the decision to sit Doncic was made during the afternoon.

Kidd was on the Vivint Arena court before Game’s 3 for his normal shooting routine.

The Mavericks upgraded Doncic to questionable on their pregame injury report after they labeled him as doubtful ahead of his Games 1 and 2 absences.

Doncic said Wednesday his relegation to the sideline as the Mavericks split the first two games with the Jazz has been “the toughest thing ever” and made him more nervous than playing in big-time contests.

But, Doncic and the Mavericks have emphasized that he will not return to live action if there’s a risk of re-injury. One notable example — Kevin Durant’s Achilles tear in the 2019 NBA Finals in the game he returned from a month-long, calf-strain absence — has loomed as a reminder for caution.

“If there’s going to be risk, I don’t think I’m going to play,” Doncic said. “But, like I said, today and yesterday, we did some good things. If it’s not risk, I don’t want to play limited minutes. I’d be nervous. I want to be out there the most time as possible.”

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