The Mavericks’ uphill battle in the deep Western Conference race continues to get increasingly tougher.
As they await the return of their trio of key big men, Dallas is now dealing with the potential of an extended absence for All-Star guard Kyrie Irving. Irving saw just nine minutes of action before exiting with an apparent knee injury in a 24-point loss to the Kings on Monday.
What is Irving’s injury and what does it mean for the Mavs? Here is what to know about the All-Star’s latest setback.
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What is Kyrie Irving’s injury?
Irving’s injury is a torn ACL in his left knee, ESPN’s Shams Charania reported.
Irving’s knee buckled during a drive through the lane as he drew a foul on Kings forward DeMar DeRozan. Here is the play where Irving was injured.
the injury pic.twitter.com/7MsOc1EEgf
— MavsHighlights (@MavsHighlights) March 4, 2025
After going down, Irving spent time on the floor in evident pain before receiving “MVP” chants from Mavericks fans at the American Airlines Center.
Irving was helped to the court and hit both free throws before being substituted out of the game. He did not return.
Kyrie Irving is the definition of strength 🙏🏼#MFFL pic.twitter.com/J8DMb1BkYi
— Dallas Mavericks (@dallasmavs) March 4, 2025
Postgame, Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd called it, “just unlucky.”
He added, “Just hope that he’s healthy and it’s not serious, but the injuries that we’ve had this season, guys are trying to hold it together. It seems every time we’re getting close to getting someone back, someone goes down.”
Irving suffered the injury days before the team re-evaluated big men Anthony Davis, Daniel Gafford and Dereck Lively II, who have all been out for extended time.
How long will Kyrie Irving be out?
Irving will miss the remainder of the 2024-25 season, according to Charania. The 32-year old, who has a $43.9 million player option for next season, will likely undergo an operation to repair his ailment.
Mavericks schedule 2024-25
Here is the upcoming schedule for the Mavericks:
| Date | Opponent | Time (ET) | TV channel |
| March 5 | at Bucks | 8 p.m. | — |
| March 7 | vs. Grizzlies | 7:30 p.m. | ESPN |
| March 9 | vs. Suns | 3:30 p.m. | ABC |
| March 10 | at Spurs | 8:30 p.m. | — |
| March 12 | at Spurs | 8 p.m. | — |
Mavericks injuries
Irving adds to a growing list of Mavs’ key players out with injury.
- Anthony Davis — left abductor strain
- Daniel Gafford — right knee sprain
- Kyrie Irving — left knee ACL tear
- Dereck Lively II — right ankle stress fracture
- Caleb Martin — right hip strain
- P.J. Washington — right ankle sprain’
Dallas’ six injured players are averaging a combined 86.1 points for the team this season.
It is worth noting that Davis’ scoring average is based on a one-game sample size and Martin has yet to play for the Mavericks since being acquired by the team at the trade deadline.
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