Kyrie Irving (right foot) sidelined against Bulls
This season, in 20 games with the team, the guard for the Mavs is averaging 27 points per game and 5 assists per game.
The Dallas Mavericks’ aspirations for a postseason surge will be significantly more challenging for at least one night.
The team announced guard Kyrie Irving will miss Friday’s game against the Chicago Bulls (8:30 p.m. ET, NBA League Pass) to help his nagging right foot injury heal up. He won’t be the only player missing Friday’s game as Josh Green (rest), Tim Hardaway Jr. (left ankle soreness), Maxi Kleber (right hamstring injury recovery) and Christian Wood (rest) will also be out.
Tonight’s game against the Bulls will be missed by Kyrie Irving who is recovering from a right foot injury, Josh Green due to rest, Tim Hardaway Jr. with left ankle soreness, Maxi Kleber recovering from a right hamstring injury, and Christian Wood, also due to rest.
— Mavs PR (@MavsPR) April 7, 2023
Dallas is 38-42 and trails the No. 10-seeded Oklahoma City Thunder by 1/2 game with two games left to play. The Thunder can clinch an AT&T Play-In Tournament bid if the Mavs lose tonight. Dallas missing the playoffs would be stunning turn of events considering last season’s team made a run to the Western Conference finals.
Mavs owner Mark Cuban recently expressed to reporters that re-signing Irving this summer is a high priority for him, but he doesn’t perceive it as a situation where it’s “Kyrie or nothing”.
Before Wednesday’s 123-119 victory against Sacramento, which kept the Mavs’ hopes alive for securing the final play-in spot as the 10th seed in the West, Cuban held a rare session with reporters.
Despite Irving’s expiring contract, Dallas took a gamble with the blockbuster deal for him before the February trade deadline. This provided the franchise with its first pair of All-Star starters, including Luka Doncic.
The Mavericks have slipped in the standings since then, in part because of injuries to both stars, but Cuban maintains the move was made for the long term. Still, Cuban stopped short of declaring Irving’s return a must.
“Cuban, who habitually communicated with reporters before games until locker room access was altered a few years back, stated, “We’re not solely dependent on Kyrie, but we aim to retain him. I’m no longer issuing ultimatums concerning players as I did the previous year.”
Cuban stated that the Mavericks never planned for Doncic and Irving to be the core of the defense, hence the search for additional pieces in the offseason will be the challenge.
Has Dallas managed to save a chance at the playoffs with just two games left, with a victory over the Kings on Wednesday?
This implies that the owner is hoping to persuade Irving to stay. Cuban did not commit to any contract terms due to the unclear rules in the new labor agreement.
“Cuban expressed his desire for him to definitely stay, stating, “I believe we have a good chance. I get the sense that he’s content here. He’s even told me that he’s happy here.”
Irving’s tenure of over three seasons in Brooklyn was laden with controversy, including his inability to play many home games due to his refusal to get vaccinated against COVID-19. His tweet linking to a film with antisemitic content also drew criticism. This tweet led to the termination of his relationship with Nike.
Cuban expressed his admiration for Kyrie, stating, “I believe he’s a good guy.” He further explained, “Everything I previously knew about Kyrie, based on what I read, is completely incorrect.” He added, “I constantly receive emails from people making judgments. I usually respond, ‘Do you personally know him?’ Once you get to know him, he’s very likable. He’s unique, not your typical guy or athlete. In my view, that’s a good thing.”
Doncic and Irving have a record of 5-11 when playing together, going into Friday’s home game against Chicago.
This season, Luka has faced numerous injuries, casting doubts on the Mavericks’ playoff hopes.
Jason Kidd stated about Luka Doncic: “He will play the first quarter and then his season will be over.”
Kidd subsequently softened his “for the season” declaration a bit, but that remains the plan.
— Tim MacMahon (@espn_macmahon) April 7, 2023
Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.
