The Dallas Mavericks have had as bad of injury luck as any other team in the NBA this season, headlined by major injuries to stars Anthony Davis and Kyrie Irving.
Immediately after the Mavericks traded away superstar guard Luka Doncic, everything went downhill.
Davis got injured in his debut game in Dallas, and just less than a month later, Irving went down with an ACL tear. Thankfully, Davis has since returned to action, but Irving has been ruled out for the remainder of the 2024-25 season.
As expected, Irving will be sidelined for Saturday's game against the Chicago Bulls.
Dallas Mavericks guard Kyrie Irving sits on the bench
Mar 16, 2025; Dallas, Texas, USA; Dallas Mavericks guard Kyrie Irving sits on the bench against the Philadelphia 76ers during the first half at American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images / Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images
Irving finished his 2024-25 campaign averaging 24.7 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 4.6 assists per game with efficient 47.3/40.1/91.6 shooting splits en route to his ninth All-Star appearance.
The Bulls will be a challenging test for the Irving-less Mavericks on Saturday, especially as one of the hottest teams in the NBA. The Bulls have won nine of their last 11 games to improve to 33-40 on the season, and their backcourt play has been elite.
Josh Giddey and Coby White have been incredible recently, and should overrule Dallas' shorthanded backcourt on Saturday.
Every clutch bucket from Kyrie Irving as a Maverick pic.twitter.com/rddOL7xp3n
— Pitless (@pitlessball) March 28, 2025
The Mavericks are just one game ahead of the 11th-place Phoenix Suns with just eight games left in the regular season, so Saturday's matchup in Chicago could have major playoff implications. The Bulls, on the other hand, have practically locked up their spot in the Eastern Conference play-in tournament.
The Dallas Mavericks and Chicago Bulls are set to face off at 8:00 p.m. EST on Saturday.