Luka Doncic rolled his ankle against the Heat yesterday, and it couldn’t have come at a more inopportune time. The word is that he could be sidelined beyond Christmas with the injury, and it coincides with one of the most brutal stretches for any team.

These are the games that they have to look forward to for the rest of 2019:

Milwaukee Bucks (December 17)

The Bucks are firing on all cylinders. They’re on an 18 game winning streak and are led by the leading MVP candidate in Giannis Antetokounmpo (31 PPG, 12.8 RPG, 5.3 APG, 1.3 SPG, 1.2 BPG). The Greek Freak is on an absolute tear and his supporting cast has been pretty stellar. He’s missed a single game so far this season – and the Bucks still won that game 127-112.

There’s barely a team in the NBA that can stand up to these Bucks right now, and a depleted Dallas certainly won’t be it.

Boston Celtics (December 19)

The Boston Celtics are fourth in the East with a 17-7 record, and are hard-nosed team with a high-scoring point guard in Kemba Walker (23.1 PPG, 4.2 RPG, 5.3 APG). They’re going to have a hard time stopping him along with Jayson Tatum (20.6 PPG, 7 RPG) and Jaylen Brown (19.3 PPG, 6.9 RPG). Lest we forget, they also have Gordon Hayward (17.5 PPG, 6.1 RPG, 4.1 APG). 

The Mavs lost their previous meeting 116-106, and Doncic scored 34 points in that game.

Philadelphia 76ers (December 21)

The 76ers are firing on all cylinders at the moment. They have a 14-0 record at home, and have arguably the best starting five in the NBA. They’re led by Joel Embiid (22.8 PPG, 12.3 RPG), Tobias Harris (19.8 PPG, 7 RPG) and Ben Simmons (14.1 PPG, 6.8 RPG, 8.4 APG).

The scoring punch will be missing without Doncic, and Ben Simmons will probably have a huge game on the offensive end because he won’t have to worry about guarding the Mavs’ downed star.

Toronto Raptors (December 23)

Another away game in the East sees the Mavs take on the Raptors just before the Christmas break. Toronto has a 10-3 record at home, and have had marquee wins against teams like the Lakers and the 76ers this season.

Dallas won their previous game 110-102, where Doncic posted 26 points, 15 rebounds, and 7 assists. Hard to imagine who will cover that output away from home against one of the most team-oriented styles of basketball in the NBA.

San Antonio Spurs (December 27)

The Spurs are in something of a free-fall, sitting in 11th place in the West with a 10-15 record. They’re a pretty bad away team with a 3-8 record, so that could work in the Mavs’ favor. 

This is the first game in that stretch that looks winnable for the Luka-less Mavs, but it still won’t be easy. If Luka is back, this game looks even better.

This may actually be the first time that the Spurs miss the playoffs in over two decades. The last time they did that, Doncic wasn’t even born.

Golden State Warriors (December 29)

The Golden State Warriors are in a state of disarray as well, thanks to losing Kevin Durant to free agency and the injuries suffered by Klay Thompson and Stephen Curry. The hapless Dubs currently sport a 5-23 record and are the West’s worst team. 

The Mavs should have what it takes to beat them, whether or not Doncic has returned by then.

Los Angeles Lakers (December 30)

Unfortunately for the Mavs, the second night of a back-to-back sees them go from playing the West’s worst team to the best in the conference. They will face the Lakers at Staples Center, where they have a 10-2 record and are led by LeBron James (25.9 PPG, 7.1 RPG, 10.8 APG) and Anthony Davis (27.4 PPG, 9.2 RPG, 2.6 BPG).

This game didn’t look easy even with a healthy Doncic. If he’s still out by then, it’s almost guaranteed to be a massive blowout. If Luka has come back by this point, he might also be load managed. The Mavs may just choose to have him play in the easier game against the Warriors.

Potential Record:

Assuming a worst-case scenario where Doncic comes back in January, the Mavs look like they could only win against the Spurs and Warriors. That would give them a 2-5 record and drop their overall total to 19-13. In a loaded Western Conference, this could spell a lot of trouble for them.