DALLAS (AP) — While the Dallas Mavericks wait to see how long they'll be without Luka Doncic because of his latest left calf injury, they have another example of how to stay afloat until the superstar's return.
Doncic exited late in the second quarter of a 105-99 Christmas Day loss to Minnesota on Wednesday, and the deflated Mavs found themselves down 28 points late in the third.
Yet, Kyrie Irving had a 3-point attempt in the final minute that would have put Dallas in front. His shot was short, as was the rally.
“It’s kind of deflating,” said Klay Thompson, who passed Reggie Miller for fifth on the career 3-point list during the spirited Dallas rally. “We have such a deep roster, and that’s why we can withstand this time without him. We obviously are not the same without Luka in the lineup. We are going to do everything we can to go on a run here without him.”
Dallas coach Jason Kidd had no update on Doncic after the game.
The five-time All-Star was running a play on offense when he stopped, passed and reached toward his lower legs. Doncic stayed where he was until the Mavs could call timeout. He limped off with 2:31 remaining in the first half.
It was the second game back for Doncic after he missed two games with a left heel contusion. The 25-year-old has a history of issues with his left calf, missing all or most of the past two preseasons while previously sitting the first three games of the 2022 playoffs.
Doncic, who scored 14 points in 16 minutes against the Wolves and is averaging 28.1 points, 8.3 rebounds and 7.8 assists per game, missed five games this season with a right wrist sprain. He has missed eight overall, but Dallas is 6-2 without him.
Now the Mavs have managed a huge rally without him, even if it wasn't enough for the victory.
“I think this is a group that can win,” Kidd said. “They believe that. And they’ve shown that. The record speaks for itself. But we also need him. He’s just been hit with some injuries here of late. Hopefully this one isn’t that serious. But we do need him if we want to win a championship.”
Irving scored 39 points in the loss to the Timberwolves, while Thompson finished with 12 on 4-of-10 shooting from 3. Thompson now has 2,562 career 3-pointers to Miller's 2,560.
Irving is averaging 24 points without Doncic. Both missed a loss to the Los Angeles Clippers last week.
Spencer Dinwiddie, who returned to the Mavs this offseason and has been an important option with Doncic sidelined, missed all seven of his shots against the Wolves and finished with two points.
It's likely time for Dallas to find a rhythm again among the supporting cast for at least a few games without the franchise player.
“Just playing selfless basketball,” said Thompson, who is in his first season with the Mavs after winning four championships with Stephen Curry and Draymond Green in Golden State.
“Realize Kyrie’s going to take us home, he’s our closer. But for everybody else on the team, it’s just about getting in good rhythm and trusting one another and playing hard, especially defensively. He’s obviously our best player, but we’ve got to be tested, and this is a good test ahead.”
AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/nba
Dallas Mavericks guard Luka Doncic (77) celebrates after hitting a three-pointer over Minnesota Timberwolves guard Mike Conley (10) in the first half of an NBA basketball game on Wednesday, Dec. 25, 2024, in Dallas. (AP Photo/Emil T. Lippe)
Six years into his Stuttgart career, Nikolas Nartey finally scored his first goal for the club to seal a thrilling 3-2 win over Eintracht Frankfurt in the Bundesliga on Tuesday.
The Danish midfielder found space between two defenders to direct Josha Vagnoman's low cross into the net and turned away, shouting in celebration.
Nartey had been with Stuttgart since 2019 but barely played for much of that time. He spent two years on loan before a series of injuries wreaked havoc on his career. He didn't play at all in 2023-24 and had little game time the following year but has become a regular starter this season.
Until Nartey's breakthrough, it had seemed like a first-time scorer of a different sort had salvaged a draw for Frankfurt.
Three minutes into his Bundesliga debut off the bench, new signing Ayoube Amaimouni-Echghouyab made it 2-2 to finish off a rapid team move that began with goalkeeper Kaua Santos and went the length of the field. The 21-year-old forward had never before played above the third tier of German soccer.
Frankfurt took the early lead when Rasmus Kristensen scored in the fifth minute, but goals from Ermedin Demirovic and Deniz Undav put Stuttgart ahead 2-1 by halftime. Both teams had plenty of chances as Santos and Stuttgart's Alexander Nübel made crucial saves.
Stuttgart moves up to third with the win. Frankfurt is seventh, with one win from its last eight games in all competitions.
A day after Borussia Dortmund coach Niko Kovac signaled that challenging Bayern for the title is out of his team's reach, Dortmund cut Bayern's lead to eight points with a straightforward 3-0 win over Werder Bremen.
Defender Nico Schlotterbeck headed second-place Dortmund in front in the 11th before Marcel Sabitzer and Serhou Guirassy scored to make sure of the win.
“That we can't attack Bayern, I think everyone can see that,” Kovac said Monday, adding his aim is a top-four finish.
Unbeaten Bayern, which beat Wolfsburg 8-1 last week, can restore an 11-point lead by beating Cologne on Wednesday.
Mainz beat fellow relegation candidate Heidenheim 2-1 for its first Bundesliga win since September. New Mainz coach Urs Fischer is unbeaten in six Bundesliga and Conference League games since he was hired last month. Mainz moves up from last place in the 18-team league to 16th, dropping Heidenheim to last.
Bayer Leverkusen's game at Hamburger SV was postponed at short notice over concerns around the stadium's roof. It's the third game in the Bundesliga to be called off in recent days following heavy snow in northern Germany.
AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer
Mainz's Nadiem Amiri celebrates scoring during the Bundesliga soccer match between FSV Mainz 05 andFC Heidenheim in Mainz, Germany, Tuesday Jan. 13, 2026. (Torsten Silz/dpa via AP)
Dortmund's Serhou Guirassy, second right, celebrates with teammates after scoring the third goal against Werder Bremen during the German Bundesliga soccer match between Borussia Dortmund and Werder Bremen in Dortmund, Germany, on Tuesday, Jan. 13, 2026. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner)
Stuttgart players celebrate with their fans after the Bundesliga soccer match between VfB Stuttgart and Eintracht Frankfurt in Stuttgart, Germany, Tuesday Jan. 13, 2026. (Tom Weller/dpa via AP)
Frankfurt's Ayoube Amaimouni-Echghouyab celebrates scoring with Arthur Theate, left, and Robin Koch, right, during the Bundesliga soccer match between VfB Stuttgart and Eintracht Frankfurt in Stuttgart, Germany, Tuesday Jan. 13, 2026. (Tom Weller/dpa via AP)
Stuttgart's Nikolas Nartey, front, and Frankfurt Aurèle Amenda in action during the Bundesliga soccer match between VfB Stuttgart and Eintracht Frankfurt in Stuttgart, Germany, Tuesday Jan. 13, 2026. (Tom Weller/dpa via AP)
