Luka Doncic gained’t be within the lineup for the Dallas Mavericks on Sunday afternoon towards the Denver Nuggets, which isn’t any shock since he’s sidelined with a left calf pressure for a minimum of the following two weeks. It marks Doncic’s 17th missed game of the season, which ends his streak of five consecutive appearances on an All-NBA first team and makes him ineligible for the MVP award. Doncic joins a rising listing of stars who is not going to meet the NBA’s 65-game requirement for awards, together with Kawhi Leonard, Joel Embiid, Zion Williamson, Paolo Banchero and Chet Holmgren. “I feel that’s simply a part of the character proper now with the best way the foundations are arrange,” mentioned Mavericks coach Jason Kidd. “When you might have a extreme harm, it may knock you out of that, however we all know that he’s probably the greatest gamers. He’s at all times talked about as an MVP candidate.” -via Dallas Morning News / January 12, 2025