Luka Doncic shared his concern for Kyrie Irving on his Instagram story after the Mavericks guard suffered what looked to be a very serious injury. He shared a message of love and support to his former teammate and lauded him for still having the strength and wherewithal to shoot the two free throws he earned before walking back to the locker room.
Luka shows love to Kyrie following his injury 💙🙏 pic.twitter.com/8Hm9OHlL9O
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) March 4, 2025
The moment clearly took a toll on Irving. Whether it was the pain or maybe the realization that his season is over, Irving could be seen tearing up while attempting his free throws. Injuries are difficult for any player, but when they happen at such a pivotal time of the year like it did for Kyrie, it is difficult to keep your emotions in check. Hopefully, the injury is not as serious as once feared.
Kyrie Irving was crying while shooting his free throws man… pic.twitter.com/k8Sgb6Fl0w
— Jo (@MavsStan41) March 4, 2025
One Dallas Mavericks reporter noted that Anthony Davis, who was on the bench as he recovers from his own injury, walked Irving back to the locker room, and stayed with him for a long period of time. Davis is a player who knows the emotional toll a serious injury can take on a player’s mental health, and as such, stepped in to make sure his teammate had some support as he dealt with a serious health concern.
The night didn’t stop being a disaster for the Mavericks, as later on in the game, Jaden Hardy also sustained an injury, which forced him to limp back to the locker room with help from his teammates and trainers. Losing Hardy after Irving, two players who were important for the Mavericks, especially as they struggle with injuries as a team right now, could be the kiss of death for their playoff aspirations.
Irving and Hardy now join Davis, Daniel Gafford, Dereck Lively II, P.J. Washington, and Caleb Martin. This pretty much takes out almost the Mavericks’ entire primary rotation. The hope right now is that Irving, Davis, Gafford, Lively, and Washington can all make their returns to the lineup soon. But given the way Irving walked off the court, it might be unlikely he recovers quickly.
The Mavericks had to field their fringe players for big minutes during the game. In fact tonight, the Mavericks’ starting lineup all failed to score double-digits individually. It was most of their bench players who had to shoulder the offensive and defensive load for the team tonight.
The Kings would topple to the Mavericks 122-98, but it is completely understandable, given how hamstrung the Mavericks were due to injuries. Over the next few weeks, they might have to field a very weak lineup and even rely on their G-League team to provide them with some stars.
Hopefully, Irving, Hardy, and the rest of the Mavericks can recover soon. But with their team this weak in the coming few games, the Mavericks might struggle to win games, which could hurt their playoff chances come April.
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