Dallas Mavericks star Kyrie Irving left Monday night’s game against the Sacramento Kings after hurting his knee, and the latest news about the injury could not be much worse.
Tests revealed that Irving suffered a torn ACL, according to multiple reports. The veteran point guard will miss the remainder of the season.
Irving hurt his left leg in the first quarter at American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas. He banged knees with Kings center Jonas Valanciunas and had to be helped off the court (video here).
Irving had been having an outstanding year and had elevated his game even more after Luka Doncic was traded to the Los Angeles Lakers. The nine-time All-Star entered Monday’s game averaging 25.0 points, 4.9 rebounds, and 4.7 assists on 47.3% shooting from the field. Irving had averaged 28.6 points per game after the All-Star break.
Irving’s season-ending injury is just the latest development in what has turned into a disastrous season in Dallas. Anthony Davis was the big return in the Doncic trade, and the 6-foot-10 forward has not played since he suffered a left abductor injury in his first game with Dallas.
The Mavericks lost 122-98 to the Kings. They fell behind by as many as 32 points after Irving exited the game.
While Dallas is 32-30 and still technically in the postseason hunt, it is hard to imagine them remaining there without Irving. That is why many fans had the same reaction after Irving went down.
