The Dallas Mavericks have been up against ever since the much-criticized trade that sent former franchise player Luka Doncic out of town.
Superstar big man Anthony Davis, the main player acquired in the Doncic trade, promptly went down with an adductor injury in his first game with them, and they also lost big man Daniel Gafford to an injury of his own.
But the worst injury the Mavs have had to deal with is the torn ACL star guard Kyrie Irving suffered early this month. He has reportedly undergone successful surgery to repair the injured ligament, although he will still miss the rest of this season.
Mavs star Kyrie Irving underwent successful ACL surgery on his left knee, per @ShamsCharania. pic.twitter.com/9QsgHzId9X
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) March 26, 2025
Irving was averaging 24.7 points, 4.8 rebounds and 4.6 assists a game while shooting 47.3% from the field and 40.1% from 3-point range at the time of his injury.
Since even before his injury, the Mavs have been reeling. They have lost 12 of their last 16 games, and as a result, they currently rank 11th in the Western Conference with a 35-38 record.
It is starting to look likely that they will not make the playoffs this season, and the way they have been struggling, they may not even reach the play-in tournament. Dallas didn't reach the play-in tournament two seasons ago after they acquired Irving that February, although they got to the NBA Finals last summer.
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This story was originally published March 26, 2025 at 5:51 PM.