MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Kyrie Irving, the guard for the Dallas Mavericks, is likely to be sidelined for one to two weeks due to a bulging disk in his back. Mavericks coach Jason Kidd provided no specific updates regarding the timeline for Irving’s return during a media session prior to the team’s matchup against the Memphis Grizzlies on Monday night.
Kidd refrained from making predictions about the injury, stating, “He’s out, so there’s nothing I can speculate or comment on. It has been reported that he is out for a week or two.” When pressed for an estimated recovery timeline, he replied, “Give me 48 hours to get that answer.”
Irving serves as the Mavericks’ second-highest scorer, averaging 25.6 points per game with a shooting percentage near 50%, including 41.1% from beyond the arc. His absence poses yet another challenge for Dallas’s offensive capabilities.
Additionally, leading scorer Luka Doncic is also unavailable for Monday’s game, marking his sixth consecutive absence due to a left calf strain. The combined absence of Irving and Doncic leaves the Mavericks without a total of 52.4 points per game from their scoring lineup.
Kidd emphasized the importance of all available players stepping up to compensate for the scoring gap. “Being short-handed, it’s the next-man-up mentality. We can’t replace Luka or Kyrie, so it’s going to take a team effort,” he stated.
As the Mavericks prepare to face the Grizzlies, their current record stands at 20-15, placing them third in the Southwest Division, three games behind the leading Houston Rockets.