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 Kyrie Irving has a torn ACL in his left knee and will miss the rest of the season, the team announced Tuesday.
The Dallas Mavericks announced yesterday that Kyrie Irving sustained a left knee sprain against the Kings on March 3. Upon further medical evaluation, an MRI revealed a torn left knee ACL for Irving.
Irving will be listed as out with medical updates to follow as necessary.
— Mavs PR (@MavsPR) March 4, 2025
Irving was injured in the first quarter of the Mavs’ 122-98 loss to the Sacramento Kings on Monday night. Following the injury, Irving made two free throws with tears rolling down his cheeks before leaving the game.
The 32-year-old was fouled by DeMar DeRozan on a drive to the basket and his right foot landed on the foot of the Kings’ Jonas Valanciunas. Irving lost his balance and then landed awkwardly on his left leg, and his knee appeared to hyperextend before he fell to the floor.
It’s the biggest setback so far this season among a slew of injuries for the Mavericks, who lost 10-time All-Star Anthony Davis to a groin injury in his Dallas debut following the seismic trade that sent Luka Dončić to the Los Angeles Lakers.
The presence of Irving was the biggest reason the Mavericks felt they could proceed with the controversial Davis-for-Doncic deal, a move that infuriated the Dallas fan base.
After he was hurt, Irving grabbed his leg and remained on the floor for multiple minutes. Davis, who is recovering from injury himself, 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 with a left knee sprain.
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.”
Irving is now out for the season, and figures to be in the final stages of recovery when teams report for training camp for the 2025-26 season. Irving has a $44 million player option for next season.
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) and was rolling lately, 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.
