Mavs vs. Jazz Game 1 Scheduled; Will Luka Doncic Play?

The Dallas Mavericks and Utah Jazz will open the 2022 NBA playoffs on Saturday. Luka Doncic's calf injury remains the focus.

The Dallas Mavericks (52-30) and Utah Jazz (49-33) are locked in for a first-round playoff matchup. 

The start of the playoffs is set for Saturday, and the NBA announced the tip-off times for each of those matchups. The Mavericks and Jazz will play Game 1 of their series at 12:00 p.m. (CT) at the American Airlines Center in Dallas, TX. 

Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports

Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports

Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports

The key storyline surrounding Game 1 is the availability of Luka Doncic, who suffered a calf injury late in the third quarter of Sunday's 130-120 win over the San Antonio Spurs. It remains to be seen if he will miss the start of the series.

When Mavericks coach Jason Kidd spoke to reporters following Sunday's game, he hadn't spoken to either the training staff or Doncic. He also explained that more information will be known on Monday. (We should have MRI results on Monday).

"For some reason I feel like he'll be ready to go, knowing the competitor he is," Mavericks guard Jalen Brunson said. 

Being scheduled to be the first game of the playoffs is the worst-case scenario for the Mavericks. Not only do they lose what could have been an extra full-day of recovery for Doncic, the early tipoff time adds further complication to the situation. 

Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports

Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports

Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports

In the event Doncic is unable to play in Game 1, the Mavericks have relied on Spencer Dinwiddie as the main guard option to fill in. Dallas has played two games this season with Doncic sidelined since acquiring Dinwiddie at the trade deadline. Dallas won both games while Dinwiddie averaged 31.0 points, 3.0 rebounds, and 6.5 assists in those two performances. 

With Tim Hardaway Jr. unexpected to play for the remainder of the season, the Mavericks could face a situation where Dinwiddie and Brunson are the main guard options available to play in Game 1.

The good news for Doncic and the Mavs is that they’ll have nearly a full week before the playoffs begin, thanks to the NBA’s Play-In Tournament. The Mavs also have one of the best training staffs in the world, led by Casey Smith.

The Jazz have struggled with blowing double-digit second half leads as of late. However, they will have their key players healthy for Game 1. The need to keep pace with Donovan Mitchell should not be overlooked as he's averaged 33.9 points, 4.5 rebounds and 5.2 assists in his last two playoff runs.