Things have gone from bad to worse for the Mavericks. The only question that remains is whether they will stay in the play-in tournament.
Superstar guard Kyrie Irving has torn the ACL in his left knee and will miss the rest of the Mavericks’ season, a person with knowledge of the situation informed The Dallas Morning News on Tuesday.
A hush fell over American Airlines Center in the waning minutes of the opening quarter when Irving went down to the floor after an awkward landing as he was fouled.
The Dallas Mavericks superstar immediately grabbed his left leg, recognized the need for medical attention and pointed over to the bench for a team trainer. The entire team huddled around their unquestioned leader while he lay on the court in obvious pain.
Irving’s 14th season, out of Duke, is cut short with the guard putting All-Star level numbers, averaging 24.7 points, 4.8 rebounds and 4.6 assists. This was one of his more efficient seasons, with shooting splits of 47.3% from the field, 40.1% from 3-point range and 91.6% from the free throw line.
Irving’s ACL tear is the latest significant blow to a Mavericks season plagued by the injury bug.
Embed from Getty ImagesA second consecutive defeat Monday to Zach LaVine and the Sacramento Kings, 122-98, was unfortunate, but the loss of Irving, and a later injury to Jaden Hardy, were stunning and painful reminders of how the Mavericks, once regarded as serious championship contenders, like last season when they made the finals, have become one of the NBA’s most bruised and battered teams.
Mavericks players have missed a combined total of lost 227 games to injury this season, which surprisingly does not even crack the top five in the NBA. The Brooklyn Nets lead the league with 312 player games lost this season. The Charlotte Hornets ranks second with 276, followed by the Memphis Grizzlies (257), Oklahoma City Thunder (252), Atlanta Hawks (242), New Orleans Pelicans (238) and the Los Angeles Lakers (230). Dallas ranks eighth, but anyone that is keeping a watchful eye on the Mavericks would surely think otherwise.
The Mavericks’ injury misfortunes did not stop with Irving. Early in the third quarter, Jaden Hardy suffered a sprained right ankle, the same injury that has sidelined him and has caused him to miss nine games this season.
The loss of Hardy ravages Dallas’ point guard room to Dante Exum, Spencer Dinwiddie and two-way guard Brandon Williams, who dropped a season-high 34 points to lead their G League affiliate, the Texas Legends to a win over the Long Island Nets on Sunday.
The Mavericks are already a mass unit without Davis, P.J. Washington, Dereck Lively II, Daniel Gafford and Caleb Martin, who has yet to make his team debut. Adding two more to that list gives coach Jason Kidd even less options and wiggle room to try to lead his team through a crowded Western Conference.
With Monday’s loss, the Mavericks dropped to 32-30 on the season and are in 10th place in the Western Conference. Still, they are only 1.5 games behind the Golden State Warriors for sixth place.
