Kyrie Irving Suffers Left Knee Sprain in Mavericks’ Loss to Kings

DALLAS – Kyrie Irving experienced a left knee sprain during Monday night’s game, bringing the Mavericks’ loss to the Sacramento Kings to a somber note. Despite the evident pain, Irving shot two free throws for the team with tears streaming down his face, before exiting late in the first quarter of the 122-98 defeat. The mishap occurred when Irving was fouled by DeMar DeRozan during a drive; as he landed, his right foot collided with Jonas Valanciunas’ foot, causing an unsteady landing on his left leg. Irving’s knee seemingly hyperextended before he hit the ground. Postgame, there were no updates on the severity of his injury. “Just unlucky,” remarked coach Jason Kidd. “I hope his health isn’t severely impacted.” After the fall, Irving clutched his leg and stayed on the floor for several minutes. Injured forward Anthony Davis, among others, helped him to the locker room before Kidd conversed with Irving, who returned to the court to make two free throws. He successfully completed the shots, reducing the score to 23-18 in favor of Dallas, before being assisted back towards the tunnel where he was subsequently declared out for the night. “That’s just who he is; Kai’s tough,” Kidd expressed. “When taking him off the court, I asked if he was okay with leaving without shooting. Once we ruled him out, he decided to head to the free-throw line, make the shots, and then exited.” Irving’s determination to shoot despite his injury echoed the iconic moment of Kobe Bryant, who, despite tearing his Achilles tendon, secured two crucial free throws for the Los Angeles Lakers against the Golden State Warriors on April 12, 2013. Irving, a nine-time All-Star, was averaging 25.0 points per game and had taken the mantle as Dallas’ leading outside shooter since the February 1 trade that sent Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers. The Mavericks were already grappling with injuries, including the absence of Davis—who suffered a groin injury during his sole game for Dallas on February 8 following acquisition in the deal for Doncic—as well as sidelined players like Daniel Gafford, Dereck Lively II, and P.J. Washington Jr. The team faced further challenges when reserve guard Jaden Hardy sustained a right ankle sprain in the third period, leaving Dallas with just nine players to finish the game. “Whenever we seem on the verge of getting someone back, we lose another player,” Kidd commented. “Tonight, it was both Hardy and Kai. We’re really running low on personnel.”