The Dallas Mavericks face a blow as point guard Kyrie Irving is sidelined with a bulging disc in his back, leaving the team without a clear timetable for his return.
January 7, 2025, at 1:31 a.m.
During a recent matchup against the Houston Rockets on January 1, Irving, sporting jersey number 11, was closely guarded by Dillon Brooks. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)
MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — Mavericks coach Jason Kidd confirmed that Irving is expected to be out for one to two weeks with the injury. However, he stopped short of providing a definitive timetable for his return.
Before the game against the Memphis Grizzlies scheduled for Monday night, Kidd said, “He’s out, so I can’t speculate or comment on anything. It’s been reported that he’s out a week or two.”
When asked for a more specific recovery timeline, Kidd said, “Give me 48 hours to get that answer.”
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Irving, currently the Mavericks’ second leading scorer with an average of 25.6 points per game, posting almost 50% shooting success and an impressive 41.1% behind the arc, will be sorely missed on the court.
This injury worsens the problems of the Mavericks, who are already facing the absence of their best scorer Luka Doncic, sidelined with a sprained left calf. Doncic, who is averaging 28.1 points, 8.3 rebounds and 7.8 assists per game, will miss his sixth straight game.
With Irving and Doncic out, the Mavericks are depriving themselves of an impressive average of 52.4 points per game from their offensive arsenal.
Kidd stressed the importance of teamwork in overcoming this points deficit, saying: “It’s crucial that everyone in uniform gets the job done. Being short-staffed means we have to adopt a ‘next- man-up’. We can’t replace Luka or Kyrie, so it’s going to take a collective effort.”
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Currently, the Mavericks are 20-15 and sit in third place in the Southwest Division, falling three games behind the division-leading Houston Rockets.
