SUMMARY
- Kyrie Irving has appeared for 31 consecutive games but a hamstring injury has officially ended the streak.
- Irving will be sidelined for the Pistons vs Mavericks game while Luka Doncic remains questionable.
Kyrie Irving has had a fantastic reason with the fifth-seeded Dallas Mavericks. Last year, despite joining the team while they were projected to make the playoffs, the Mavericks fell out of Play-In contention. Irving and Luka Doncic endured a couple of injuries that staggered the Mavericks. However, things have been the exact opposite this season. The Mavericks have surpassed most expectations and will make a crucial playoff run.
Kyrie Irving (hamstring soreness) is UNAVAILABLE for the Mavericks tomorrow against the Pistons, ending a streak of 31 consecutive games played, per @espn_macmahon. pic.twitter.com/CXGCbytRNY
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) April 11, 2024
Irving has been fairly consistent this season, appearing for 58 games while bringing the Mavericks to an incredible 50-30 record. Initially, Irving endured a few injuries, most notably a heel ailment. However, Irving appeared for 31 consecutive games. Unfortunately, this remarkable streak comes to an end while Irving recovers from hamstring soreness.
When will Kyrie Irving return?
While Kyrie Irving showcased the best of his abilities on the floor during the 31-game stretch, the Mavericks achieved a 24-7 record. Irving and Doncic also brought the Mavericks to a 16-2 run in their last 18 games. Now, Dallas looks like a proper title contender in the Western Conference that the LA Clippers will have to surpass in the first round. Several players and experts have been rallying for Doncic to win the MVP as well.
Luka has taken 114 bank shots this year, 43 more than any other guard in the league. He has a 61% eFG% on those shots and is 5/5 from three.
Kyrie Irving has a 76.8% eFG% on bank shots, the highest of any guard in the league who has taken at least 20.
Banks always open for the… pic.twitter.com/NpvZ8NZqbJ
— AOP_NBA (@aop_nba) April 5, 2024
As far as Kyrie, he’s been averaging 25.6 points, 5 rebounds, and 5.2 assists per game as their secondary option. His presence on the floor has been monumental while bringing the Mavericks out of the Play-In Tournament berths. Irving is set to miss Dallas’ upcoming matchup against the Detroit Pistons and Doncic has also been listed as questionable. Kyrie will most likely return for the Mavericks’ final game against the Oklahoma City Thunder. Or worse, he will return as soon as the Mavericks begin their playoff run.
Kyrie Irving reflects on the Mavericks 2023-24 season amidst injury concerns
Solely based on the Mavericks’ run towards the end of last season, fans and experts weren’t too hopeful that the duo would succeed. There were concerns surrounding Irving’s availability based on his record of missing games. However, as Mark Cuban revealed during the off-season Irving takes his role very seriously and acknowledged Doncic as the leader.
Irving acknowledged the run they’ve had so far as he said, “We did it under some crazy circumstances within our season, injuries, trades, uncertainty about how we were going to figure out the defensive end. There were a lot of expectations on our team to begin the season, personally or individually, and then externally from the basketball cultural world, knowing how special Luke and I are.” Luka has already proven that he can dominate in the post-season after an incredible 2022 Western Conference Finals run. With Irving on the roster, things could get even more dangerous.