The Dallas Mavericks will be taking on the Utah Jazz tonight. As NBA fans must certainly be aware, the Mavericks made a sudden trade for Kyrie Irving from the Brooklyn Nets. This would make sense considering that the team hasn’t been doing too well and Luka Doncic could use some help. They currently hold a record of 28 wins and 26 losses.
The Mavs will be taking on the Utah Jazz, who are at 27 wins and 27 losses, just a game behind them in a competitive Western Conference. Despite being in a state of a rebuild, the Jazz isn’t doing too badly thanks to Jordan Clarkson, Lauri Markkanen, and the rest of the squad.
As both these teams face off, fans will undoubtedly want to know about the availability status of Kyrie Irving, Luka Doncic, and the other stars. With that being said, let us take a look at the injury reports, expected rosters, and predicitions for this match between the Mavs and the Jazz.
Kyrie Irving will not be playing in the Dallas Mavericks vs Utah Jazz game tonight
Unfortunately for much-excited Mavericks fans, Irving is not expected to suit up for this game against the Utah Jazz. While he isn’t injured, or anything of that nature, the trade still hasn’t been completely finalized. That simply means that Irving will still have to undergo physical and health tests before finally playing for the Mavs.
Kyrie Irving is expected to arrive for a physical on Monday in Dallas and travel to make his Mavericks debut vs. the Los Angeles Clippers on Wednesday (10 PM ET, ESPN), source tells ESPN.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) February 5, 2023
As we all know, Irving sat out his last game for the Nets under a claim of left ankle soreness. This could have merely been in protest. However, the Mavs should still test him out and make sure he is good to go before putting him on the court.
That means they will be shorthanded for this game against Utah. Especially if Doncic also does not play. Here are the complete injury reports and expected rosters for this game.
Dallas Mavericks injury report
- Luka Doncic
- Kyrie Irving
- Luka Doncic
- Davis Bertans
- Maxi Kleber
- Markieff Morris
Dallas Mavericks expected roster
- Dwight Powell
- Tim Hardaway Jr
- Reggie Bullock
- Josh Green
- McKinley Wright IV
Utah Jazz injury report
- Jarred Vanderbilt
- Micah Porter
Utah Jazz expected roster
- Jordan Clarkson
- Colin Sexton
- Mike Conley
- Lauri Markkanen
- Kelly Olynk
As we can tell, the Mavericks’ injury report amusingly looks like their usual roster. On the other hand, the Utah Jazz looks quite healthy and ready for this game. Now, let us find out the expert predicitions for this game.
The Jazz will be slightly favored over the Mavs
Luka Doncic has been sidelined with a heel injury. Additionally, Christian Wood has a thumb injury and is not expected to play. Moreover, the Mavs traded away Spencer Dinwiddie and Dorian Finney-Smith, along with multiple future draft picks to secure Irving.
While Kyrie is certainly capable of integrating into most basketball systems, he will still have to finish his tests and acclimatize to the Mavericks. This is a perfect window for the Utah Jazz to steal a win against them. While Reggie Bullock, Tim Hardaway Jr, and the rest of the squad can still put up a fight, they will be the underdogs tonight against the Jazz.
