NEW ORLEANS — The Dallas Mavericks will be without guard Kyrie Irving for their game on Wednesday evening against the New Orleans Pelicans, who will also rest their power forward, Zion Williamson.
Both players participated in games the previous night, but neither has been cleared to play back-to-back due to ongoing recovery from recent injuries.
Irving continues to rehabilitate from a back injury, whereas Williamson is dealing with a strain of his left hamstring.
This marks the seventh occasion the Mavericks have had to compete without both Irving and their leading scorer, Luka Doncic, who is sidelined for his 11th consecutive game due to a left calf strain.
In the previous six games without both Irving and Doncic, the Mavericks managed to secure a record of 2-5.
Doncic, who is averaging 28.1 points per game, and Irving, who is the team’s second-leading scorer with an average of 23.9 points, will clearly be missed on the court.
In a recent game against Denver, where the Mavericks lost 118-99, Irving tallied 11 points in 30 minutes of play. Additionally, center Dereck Lively was also absent due to a sprained right ankle.
On the other side, Williamson recorded 21 points, along with nine assists and seven rebounds in the Pelicans’ 119-113 win over Chicago.
With Williamson sitting out, the Pelicans will be missing three starters against the Mavericks. Brandon Ingram is out for his 18th straight game due to a sprained left ankle, while Herb Jones is expected to be sidelined indefinitely following a diagnosis of a posterior labrum tear in his right shoulder from last week.
