DALLAS – Dallas Mavericks superstar Luka Doncic had to leave the team’s Christmas game against the Minnesota Timberwolves late in the second quarter because of a left calf strain.

Doncic was out for the rest of the game at halftime.

Doncic, who recently missed two games because of a bruised left heel, grimaced in pain as he planted his foot after picking up his dribble. He immediately looked toward the Mavs bench and indicated he was hurt.

Doncic was unable to get back on defense on the ensuing possession and limped straight to the locker room to be evaluated after Dallas called a timeout with 2:31 left in the half.

Doncic scored 14 points in 16 minutes against Minnesota. He entered the game averaging 28.8 points, 8.5 rebounds and 8.1 assists per game.

Doncic has a history of injuries to this calf. Most recently, he missed the entire training camp and preseason this year due to a bruised left calf. It’s the third time Doncic has strained his calf in recent years. He missed the first three games of the 2022 playoffs after suffering a strain in the regular-season finale and was sidelined for most of the preseason last year after suffering a strain during a practice in Madrid.

Doncic, a first-team All-NBA selection the past five seasons, has already missed eight games this season.