Mavericks' Kyrie Irving: Game-high 36 points in loss
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Irving dropped 36 points (12-21 FG, 4-11 3Pt, 8-8 FT), nine assists and four rebounds in 38 minutes during Wednesday's 115-114 loss to the Timberwolves.
The star guard put together his best performance since returning from a back injury last week, with his nine assists matching his season high. He also paired volume with efficiency en route to his fourth-highest point total of the season. So long as Luka Doncic (calf) remains out, the scoring load will largely fall to Irving, who's more than capable of heating up in the lead role. He'll look to keep rolling Thursday against the Thunder.
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Mavericks' Kyrie Irving: Leads on both ends in defeat
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Irving finished Monday's 110-105 loss to the Hornets with 33 points (11-24 FG, 3-8 3Pt, 8-9 FT), four rebounds, three assists and three steals across 41 minutes.
Irving paced Dallas on both ends of the court in Monday's afternoon battle, leading all Mavericks in scoring, threes made and steals over a team-leading minute total. Irving has crossed the 30-point mark in seven contests this season, adding three or more steals in two of those outings. Over his last two appearances, Irving has posted at least 25 points with three threes made in both contests.
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Mavericks' Kyrie Irving: Scores 25 points in return
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Irving ended Friday's 106-98 win over the Thunder with 25 points (9-19 FG, 3-8 3Pt, 4-4 FT), five rebounds, five assists and one steal in 39 minutes.
Irving missed the 119-116 loss to the Pelicans on Wednesday but returned with a solid performance in this Friday matchup, carrying the Mavs to a win over the Thunder. The veteran floor general has been dealing with a back injury that has limited him to just three outings since the beginning of January, so his lack of availability is the biggest issue for fantasy managers who continue to trust in what Irving can bring to the table.
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Mavericks' Kyrie Irving: Good to go against OKC
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Irving (back) is available for Friday's game versus the Thunder and won't have any restrictions, Eddie Sefko of the Mavericks' official site reports.
Irving has been upgraded from questionable to available Friday despite a lingering back injury. Irving averages 23.4 points, 3.9 rebounds, 3.8 assists and 1.4 steals in 36.4 minutes across his last 10 appearances.
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Mavericks' Kyrie Irving: Questionable for Friday
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Irving (back) has been listed as questionable for Friday's game against the Thunder.
Irving has missed six of the Mavericks' last seven games due to a back issue. Dallas has only won two games during his absence, as the team has found it challenging to compete without the veteran guard and Luka Doncic (calf). Spencer Dinwiddie could get another start if Irving can't return to the floor Friday.
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Mavericks' Kyrie Irving: Won't play Wednesday
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Irving (back) is out for Wednesday's game against the Pelicans.
Irving will sit out Wednesday's matchup due to a nagging back injury, though it's uncertain if this will lead to another spell on the sidelines. His next chance to play will come against the Thunder on Friday. Either Spencer Dinwiddie or Quentin Grimes will likely take his place in the starting lineup versus New Orleans.
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Mavericks' Kyrie Irving: Doubtful for Wednesday
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Irving (back) is doubtful for Wednesday's game against the Pelicans.
Irving had a shaky return Tuesday against the Nuggets with 11 points (4-18 FG, 0-3 3Pt, 3-4 FT), four rebounds, four steals, two assists and one block across 30 minutes. So it's no surprise that the Mavericks will likely rest him for the second leg of this back-to-back set. Spencer Dinwiddie, Jaden Hardy and Quentin Grimes could have more upside with Irving expected to sit.
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Mavericks' Kyrie Irving: Struggles in return
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Irving (back) closed with 11 points (4-18 FG, 0-3 3Pt, 3-4 FT), four rebounds, four steals, two assists and one block across 30 minutes in Tuesday's 118-99 loss to the Nuggets.
Irving's production in the defensive categories was strong, but the rough shooting night mostly limited his impact in his return from a five-game absence due to a bulging disc in his lower back. After the contest, Irving said the back issue would be something he would have to continue to manage, but he said he intends to play Wednesday against the Pelicans in the second leg of a back-to-back set. Irving also added that he doesn't think he'll require surgery to address the back injury.
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Mavericks' Kyrie Irving: Will return Tuesday
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Irving (back) said that he'll play in Tuesday's matchup against Denver, Jared Greenberg of NBA on TNT reports.
Irving will snap a five-game absence streak due to a bulging disc in his back. However, head coach Jason Kidd relayed that the superstar will operate under a slight minutes restriction of 30 to 33 minutes, per Grant Afseth of DallasHoopsJournal.com. Over his last five outings, Irving has averaged 28.2 points, 4.2 rebounds, 2.6 assists, 1.4 steals, and 1.0 blocks in 36.4 minutes per contest.
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Mavericks' Kyrie Irving: Questionable for Tuesday
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Irving (back) has been upgraded to questionable for Tuesday's game against the Nuggets, Grant Afseth of DallasHoopsJournal.com reports.
Irving fully participated in Monday's practice and continues to trend in the right direction after missing the past five games for Dallas. It's important to note that Tuesday's game is the front end of a back-to-back set, however, so Irving could be held out for injury maintenance Wednesday against the Pelicans if he gets the green light to return Tuesday. Spencer Dinwiddie, Quentin Grimes and Jaden Hardy likely won't offer as much upside once Irving does return to the lineup.
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Mavericks' Kyrie Irving: Trending up, but return still TBD
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Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd said Saturday that Irving will remain out for Sunday's game against the Nuggets but is "trending in the right direction" in his recovery from a bulging disc in his back, Mike Curtis of The Dallas Morning News reports. "He did some shooting, and that was it," Kidd said of Irving. "Hopefully we get him back soon."
Irving will miss his fourth consecutive game and his second in a row due to what the Mavericks are officially labeling as a lumbar back sprain, after the first two absences were attributed to an illness. Shams Charania and Tim MacMahon of ESPN reported Monday that Irving would miss at least 1-to-2 weeks with the disc issue, and given that the veteran guard isn't yet practicing, he would appear to be trending toward the longer side of that timeline. At this point, Irving should probably be viewed as doubtful for the Mavericks' upcoming Tuesday/Wednesday back-to-back set versus the Nuggets and Pelicans, respectively.
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Mavericks' Kyrie Irving: To miss 1-to-2 weeks
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Irving has a bulging disc in his back and is expected to miss at least one-to-two weeks, ESPN's Shams Charania reports.
Irving was already ruled out for Monday's game against Memphis due to an illness for his second straight absence, but now the star guard is looking at an extended absence. Charania reports that the Mavericks will have a better idea of a return date once they start treatment, but this is a tough blow for a roster that is already without Luka Doncic (calf). During the short term, Spencer Dinwiddie, Jaden Hardy and Quentin Grimes will receive the bulk of the backcourt minutes without Irving in the mix.
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Mavericks' Kyrie Irving: Won't play Monday
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Irving (illness) has been ruled out for Monday's game against the Grizzlies, Grant Afseth of DallasHoopsJournal.com reports.
Irving was a late scratch ahead of Friday's game against the Cavaliers due to an illness and will remain sidelined Monday, joining Luka Doncic (calf), who remains out for an extended period. With Dallas' backcourt shorthanded, Quentin Grimes, Jaden Hardy, Spencer Dinwiddie and Brandon Williams remain candidates for increased roles.
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Mavericks' Kyrie Irving: Late scratch against Cleveland
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Irving (illness) has been downgraded to out for Friday's game against the Cavaliers.
After not appearing on the initial injury report, Irving is a late scratch due to an illness Friday. The superstar guard's next chance to play comes during Monday's showdown with the Grizzlies. With Luka Doncic (calf) already sidelined, Spencer Dinwiddie and Quentin Grimes figure to soak up additional minutes and ball-handling responsibilities in a tough matchup against the 29-4 Cavaliers, and Klay Thompson should see a major boost in usage as well.
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Mavericks' Kyrie Irving: Well-rounded effort in defeat
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Irving ended Wednesday's 110-99 loss to the Rockets with 16 points (7-13 FG, 0-2 3Pt, 2-3 FT), seven rebounds, two assists, three steals and two blocks in 37 minutes.
Irving didn't score at an elite level Wednesday, though he still stuffed the stat sheet with a season-high mark in blocks. The star guard has now delivered three or more steals-plus-blocks in seven outings, and he racked up three-plus steals in five of those matchups. Over his last 10 appearances, Irving has averaged 24.8 points, 3.9 rebounds, 3.9 assists, 1.2 steals and 0.7 blocks across 35.9 minutes per contest. He has also shot 42.1 percent from beyond the arc over that 10-game span.
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Mavericks' Kyrie Irving: Off injury report
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Irving (shoulder) was removed from the injury report for Wednesday's game against Houston.
Irving has been dealing with a shoulder injury, which kept him out of Monday's game against the Kings. However, he appears ready to return to the floor Wednesday when the Mavericks take on the Rockets in Houston, as he has been taken off the team's injury report. With Luka Doncic (calf) sidelined, Irving should see all the usage he can handle.
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Mavericks' Kyrie Irving: Ruled out for Monday
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Irving won't play against the Kings on Monday due to right shoulder soreness.
Irving was a very late addition to the injury report with an issue that he's dealt with previously this season. For now, fantasy managers can consider him questionable for Wednesday's game against Houston. Irving was terrific in his last outing, finishing with 46 points (16-26 FG, 5-12 3Pt, 9-9 FT), two rebounds, two assists, one block and two steals in 39 minutes during Saturday's 126-122 loss to the Trail Blazers. With Irving out, Spencer Dinwiddie and Klay Thompson could see increased usage, and Jaden Hardy could get a big opportunity.
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Mavericks' Kyrie Irving: Paces team with 46 points
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Irving recorded 46 points (16-26 FG, 5-12 3Pt, 9-9 FT), two rebounds, two assists, one block and two steals in 39 minutes during Saturday's 126-122 loss to the Trail Blazers.
Dallas will depend on huge numbers from Irving to keep the team afloat in the Western Conference, and his massive total during the losing effort was a great example of what's required without Luka Doncic's (calf) services. The timely acquisition of Spencer Dinwiddie is helping to fill the gap, but Irving's production is absolutely necessary for the team to succeed.
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Mavericks' Kyrie Irving: Leading scorer in tight win
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Irving contributed 20 points (6-21 FG, 5-10 3Pt, 3-3 FT), four rebounds, five assists and one steal in 40 minutes during Friday's 98-89 win over the Suns.
The veteran guard scored at least 15 points and drained at least one three-pointer for the eighth straight appearance, a stretch in which he's averaging 23.3 points, 4.4 assists, 3.6 boards, 3.4 threes and 0.9 steals while shooting 43.5 percent from beyond the arc. With Luka Doncic (calf) on the shelf, likely until February, Irving could see his distribution numbers increase, but his five assists Friday were right in line with his season average.
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Mavericks' Kyrie Irving: Puts on show despite loss
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Irving racked up 39 points (14-27 FG, 5-14 3Pt, 6-6 FT), four rebounds, two assists and one block across 37 minutes during Wednesday's 105-99 loss to the Timberwolves.
Irving put the Mavericks on his back, helping the team rally from a 28-point deficit, ultimately falling just short of the mark. Luka Doncic played just 16 minutes before a calf injury forced him to the sideline. Initial reports indicate the medical staff are preparing for an extended absence for Doncic, meaning Irving is going to be tasked with doing a lot of the heavy lifting moving forward.
