Dončić’s absence means Mavericks face another challenge

PHOENIX – The Mavericks are about to get back to what they’ve done best so far this season — survive without Luka Dončić.

Their superstar point guard suffered a left calf muscle strain in the second quarter on Christmas Day against Minnesota. His night was done and the latest injury report lists Dončić as out for Friday’s visit to the Phoenix Suns, which opens up a challenging four-game trip.

This is not foreign territory for the Mavericks. Dončić has missed eight games this season and the Mavericks are 6-2, including road wins at Oklahoma City and Denver and a home win over New York.

So it’s not like the Mavericks are bankrupt without Luka.

As long as Kyrie Irving is around, they have every reason to feel good about their chances against anybody. He’s played in seven of the eight games Luka has missed so far and the Mavericks are 6-1. In the one game both of them missed, the Mavericks were bounced 118-95 by the Los Angeles Clippers.

So what’s the key to winning games without Luka? We put that question to Klay Thompson.

“Realize Kyrie is going to take us home,” he said. “He’s our closer. For everybody else, it’s just about getting a good rhythm and trusting one another. Playing hard, especially defensively.

“It’s an opportunity for one (or more) of us to step up. It can be done. He’s obviously our best player but we got to be tested and this is a good test ahead.”

Indeed, if the regular season is about challenges and learning how to deal with difficult situations, consider the Mavericks in the midst of one.

“I think this is a group that can win, and they believe that,” coach Jason Kidd said. “But we also need him.”

No doubts there.

The unfortunate thing for Dončić, if he has to miss any significant time, is that it could impact his eligibility for postseason awards like MVP. Players must be on the court for 20 minutes or more in at least 65 games to be considered for the MVP and all-NBA teams.

That’s not what drives Dončić, of course. If it means being healthy when the playoffs start, he’ll gladly sacrifice anything that needs to be sacrificed.

But for now, it’s more about the Mavericks holding the fort down until they get their superstar point guard back.

Here’s what else to look for as the Mavericks start their four-game trip at Phoenix:

• The Suns lost three in a row before their Christmas Day victory over Denver. In that game, they got 27 points each from Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal. But it was their defense that stood out as they forced 16 Denver turnovers and the Nuggets only hit 27.6 percent (8-of-29) from three-point range. That’s a bit of an outlier as the Suns are 26^th in the league in overall defensive rating.
• Durant leads the Suns at 27.1 points per game and Devin Booker is adding 25.1 per game. Offense definitely not the Suns’ problem as they are fourth in three-point shooting percentage (38.2) and seventh in overall offensive rating.
• The Mavericks will be looking for their first win against the Suns this season after getting nicked in Phoenix in the first road game of the season 114-102 and also losing at home 114-113 when Jusuf Nurkic was fouled on an offensive rebound and made one of two free throws with no time on the clock. That was the beginning of the Mavericks’ four-game losing streak in November. The teams meet again in Dallas on March 9.
• In games that Dončić has missed this season, the Mavericks typically have spread the wealth. They had eight players score in double figures in a win over the Los Angeles Clippers last week when Luka was out.

MAVERICKS (19-11) at PHOENIX SUNS (15-14)

WHEN: 8 p.m., Friday.

WHERE: Footprint Center, Phoenix

TV: KFAA, MAVS TV STREAM

RADIO: KEGL 97.1 FM, 99.1 FM Zona MX (Spanish)

X: @ESefko