Mavericks Christmas Day showing spoiled by non-contact Luka Doncic injury

Christmas Day is typically a time of joy, laughter and spending time with loved ones. However, the Dallas Mavericks and their fan base saw their holiday festivities ruined due to a non-contact calf injury to franchise centerpiece Luka Doncic.

Late in the second quarter, Doncic was fighting through Minnesota Timberwolves wing Jaden McDaniels' defense before visible pain prompted him to give the ball up. He passed the ball and gingerly removed himself from the sequence, reaching for his left leg and physically unable to get back defensively.

The incident sucked all the life out of the Mavericks faithful in attendance at the American Airlines Center.

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Luka Doncic exits Mavericks Christmas Day game vs. Timberwolves due to non-contact calf injury

Shortly after heading to the locker room, Doncic was ruled out for the remainder of the contest. The Mavericks deemed it a left calf strain. This is especially concerning, considering he came into the game dealing with a heel contusion in the same leg.

Dallas was already facing a double-digit deficit when Doncic got hurt, though his departure made the uphill battle to close the gap even steeper. Nonetheless, the Mavericks remained competitive, thanks to a valiant second-half effort from the rest of the squad sans their superstar offensive engine.

The Mavericks impressively outscored the Timberwolves 31-15 in the fourth quarter. Trailing by as many as 28 points and losing Doncic, Dallas scratched and clawed their way back. Alas, albeit a plucky showing, they fell short of completing the comeback. Minnesota won 105-99.

Before exiting, Doncic was pacing for a monster performance. He finished with 14 points (5-of-9 shooting), five rebounds, two assists and a steal across 16 minutes of action. But suddenly, all attention turns to his status moving forward and whether the perennial MVP candidate will be forced to miss time.

If Doncic has to be sidelined beyond Christmas Day, All-Star backcourt mate Kyrie Irving will assume primary playmaking responsibilities. Moreover, reserve guards like Spencer Dinwiddie and Quentin Grimes would presumably see expanded roles.