The Dallas Mavericks were dealt another significant injury blow when Kyrie Irving left Monday’s 122-98 loss to the Sacramento Kings with a left knee sprain, MySportDab Reports.
Related CoverageN.B.A. Playoffs: Latest UpdatesIrving suffered the injury late in the first quarter, when he landed awkwardly on a drive to the basket.
He stayed on the court clearly in distress before being escorted toward the locker room by teammate Anthony Davis, who himself is injured. But Irving did come back to shoot his free throws before leaving the game for good.
“That’s who he is,” Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd said. “He’s a tough guy. I asked him, ‘Are you good?’ for if he leaves unshot, he is disqualified. So he shot the free throws and then we got him out.”
The nine-time All-Star is among Dallas’ leading scorers, averaging 25.0 points in 2016-17. His absence only adds to the Mavericks’ lingering injury woes, as Davis (groin), Dereck Lively II, Daniel Gafford and Caleb Martin also missed time.
Adding insult to injury, the guard Jaden Hardy also left Monday’s game in the third quarter with a right ankle sprain.
“Just unlucky,” Kidd said of the injuries. “We’re getting guys back, but then someone else goes down. We’re losing and losing, but guys are still putting up resistance.”
Irving’s setback is another hit for a Dallas team that is still figuring out life without Luka Doncic, who was dealt to the Los Angeles Lakers on Feb. 1.
It is not yet certain how severe Irving’s sprain is, and the Mavericks will be hoping for a quick recovery as they fight for playoff contention.
