After the shorthanded Mavericks lost Kyrie Irving to a left knee sprain, staying afloat in the West becomes a bigger challenge for Dallas.
Dallas Mavericks star guard Kyrie Irving will miss the rest of the season after suffering a torn ACL in his left knee, per multiple reports.
Irving suffered his injury Monday night and shot free throws for the Mavericks — with tears rolling down his cheeks — before leaving the floor in obvious pain late in the first quarter of Dallas’ 122-98 loss to the Sacramento Kings.
Irving was fouled by DeMar DeRozan on a drive to the basket. His right foot then landed on the foot of the Kings’ Jonas Valanciunas. He lost his balance and then landed awkwardly on his left leg, and his knee appeared to hyperextend before he fell to the floor.
Devastating. Irving appeared in 50 of Mavs’ 62 games so far, and is currently the only player in the NBA averaging at least 20 points, 40% 3-point shooting and 90% from free throw line — the fifth season in his career with those statistics, second most all-time to Stephen Curry. https://t.co/PDWXYmM9YO
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) March 4, 2025
Dallas Mavericks star Kyrie Irving suffered a torn ACL and will miss the rest of the season, sources tell me.
— Chris Haynes (@ChrisBHaynes) March 4, 2025
After he was hurt, Irving grabbed his leg and remained on the floor for multiple minutes. Injured forward Anthony Davis was among those helping Irving to the locker room before Kidd spoke to Irving, who then returned to take two free throws. After converting both to pull Dallas within 23-18, Irving was helped into the tunnel, and the Mavs quickly ruled him out for the rest of the night.
A moment of pure determination for Kyrie Irving.
After suffering an injury, Kyrie was helped to the line to take his free throws before exiting the game.
He made both. 👏👏 pic.twitter.com/hJDDRTDLg7
— NBA (@NBA) March 4, 2025
“That’s just who, I mean, Kai’s a tough guy,” Kidd said. “I asked him as they were taking him off the court, ‘Are you good if you leave without shooting? You’re ruled out.’ So they took him to the free-throw line, and he shot the free throws and then we got him out.”
The loss dropped Dallas to 32-30, putting it 3 1/2 games ahead of the No. 11-seeded Phoenix Suns and four games ahead of the No. 12-seeded Portland Trail Blazers. The Mavs entered March as one of four Western Conference teams with more March and April games against the Eastern Conference (12) than they have against the West (10).
Irving’s decision to shoot free throws was reminiscent of the late Kobe Bryant, who made two game-tying foul shots for the Los Angeles Lakers after tearing his Achilles tendon late in the fourth quarter of a victory over Golden State on April 12, 2013.
A nine-time All-Star, Irving came in averaging 25 points per game and has become Dallas’ primary outside shooting threat following the trade of superstar Luka Dončić to the Los Angeles Lakers on Feb. 1.
Irving missed the end of the 2017-18 season after he had surgery on his left knee to remove two screws that were implanted after he suffered a patellar fracture during the 2015 NBA Finals. Irving developed an infection at the site of the screws, and had to have them removed.
This season, Irving appeared in 50 games (he played in 58 games last season for Dallas). He was in a terrific groove of late, scoring 30 points in five of his past seven games.
The Mavericks were already playing without Davis — who left his only game for Dallas on Feb. 8 with a groin injury after being acquired for Doncic — as well as Daniel Gafford, Dereck Lively II and P.J. Washington Jr.
Dallas also lost reserve guard Jaden Hardy in the third period to a right ankle sprain and finished with nine players. Kai Jones, signed by Dallas on Monday to a two-way contract in the wake of injuries to multiple big men, led the Mavericks with 21 points, a career high, and nine rebounds.
“It seems every time we get close to getting somebody back, someone goes down,” Kidd said. “Tonight, both Hardy and Kai go down. So, we’re running out of bodies here.”
Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.
