Lakers Set to Face Mavericks Without All-Star Guard Kyrie Irving
The Los Angeles Lakers will play the Dallas Mavericks on Tuesday for the second game of their two-game Texas road trip.
The Lakers will look to return to their winning ways, and they’ll face a depleted Mavericks team in the process.
ESPN’s Shams Charania shared that the Mavericks will be without their All-Star guard Kyrie Irving for one to two weeks due to a bulging disc in his back.
Irving was listed as questionable for Monday’s game against the Memphis Grizzlies, but now he will miss at least their next five games. Sources said he did not join the team on the road trip and will remain in Dallas to be reevaluated.
Irving was initially ruled out due to illness for Monday’s game. He was a late scratch for Friday’s game against the Cavaliers.
The star guard will now join his backcourt mate and superstar, Luka Dončić, who will be out for at least a handful of weeks due to a calf injury.
Dončić went down on Christmas Day with a calf strain in the first half against the Minnesota Timberwolves. The Mavericks feared he’d miss extended time, then later announced he’d be out for at least a month before he’d be reevaluated, and then a further timeline would be clarified.
Irving has been solid this season for the Mavericks, averaging 24.3 points per game, 4.6 rebounds, 4.9 assists, and 1.2 steals while shooting 49 percent from the field and 44.1 percent from three in 30 games and 35.6 minutes of action.
The Mavericks currently have a 20-15 record, the same as the Lakers, and are just behind L.A. in the standings. The Lakers are the fifth seed, and the Mavericks are the sixth seed.
The Lakers’ and Mavericks’ matchup on Tuesday will go a long way. These two teams will likely fight for seeding, which could determine whether they have a spot in the playoffs or need to play for a spot in the play-in tournament come April.
The Western Conference is as loaded as it can be, and a game will be the difference for each and every team.
The Lakers will look for their 21st win of the season and hold the tiebreaker over Dallas in the meantime. Every game against the Western Conference matters, and healthy or not, L.A. will look to take complete advantage.
