Dallas Mavericks point guard Kyrie Irving had to leave Monday’s game early after suffering an injury to his left leg.
Irving got fouled late in the first quarter at American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas, with the Mavericks trailing the Sacramento Kings 23-16. The 32-year-old All-Star banged knees with Kings center Jonas Valanciunas, causing Irving to roll to the baseline while grabbing his left knee.
The Mavs star stayed down for several minutes while being attended to by Dallas’ medical personnel. He was helped to his feet by an assistant coach and teammate Anthony Davis. Kyrie insisted on taking the free throws before being taken to the locker room. Despite the injury, he still made both attempts.
Irving left the game with seven points, one rebound, and one assist across nine minutes.
The Mavericks have had the most rotten injury luck over the past few months. If Irving is forced to miss time, he would join Davis, Daniel Gafford, and Dereck Lively II on the inactive list. Former Mavericks star Luka Doncic also missed over a month after suffering a calf injury on Christmas Day.
Dallas entered Monday’s game clinging to the final play-in spot in the West. While the Mavs still hold a multi-game lead over the scuffling Phoenix Suns, losing Irving for an extended period could put Dallas’ postseason hopes in jeopardy.
