Is Kyrie Irving Playing Tonight Against the Thunder? Feb 10th Injury Update on the Mavericks Star Ahead of West Clash

The Dallas Mavericks will host the Oklahoma City Thunder tonight at the American Airlines Center. The Dallas side will look to retain the momentum of their three-game winning streak. And the availability of Kyrie Irving is crucial for that to happen.

Kyrie Irving has been dealing with a sprained right thumb despite suiting up for the Dallas Mavericks in their recent matchups. He sustained the injury during the Mavs’ recent loss against the Boston Celtics, following which Irving missed out on the game against Minnesota on 31st January.

In the latest injury report submitted by the Mavericks, Irving’s status for the game against the Oklahoma City Thunder has been listed as ‘probable.’ Therefore, the veteran guard is likely to suit up for the contest albeit for restricted minutes.

Mavs injury report for tomorrow’s game against OKC:

Dereck Lively II – OUT
Dante Exum – OUT
Maxi Kleber – QUESTIONABLE
Kyrie Irving – PROBABLE
Luka Doncic – PROBABLE

Daniel Gafford & PJ Washington are not on the injury report

— All Things Mavs (@All_Things_Mavs) February 9, 2024

Irving had recently suited up for the games against the Brooklyn Nets, the Philadelphia 76ers, and the New York Knicks, wherein he averaged 25 points, 6.3 assists, 4.0 rebounds, and 1.3 steals in 37.0 minutes per game. Given that Irving scored in double figures and led the Mavs to three straight victories in his recent outings, the 2016 NBA champion is likely to be on the floor against a tough Western Conference opponent like the Thunder.

Besides Kyrie, Mavs star Luka Doncic has also been listed as ‘probable’ in the injury report as the Mavs guard nurses a broken nose. Other players like Dereck Lively II and Dante Exum are listed as ‘out’ for today’s game while Maxi Kleber is ‘questionable’ due to a right small toe dislocation.

Kyrie Irving is ineligible for All-NBA accolades this year

This season, Kyrie Irving has played 30 games for the Dallas Mavericks, averaging 25.2 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 5.4 assists per game. After missing a stretch of five games straight, Irving’s tally of the total number of games missed this season is 21. As of now, the Mavs star stands ineligible for any NBA accolades this year, given the new 65-game rule adopted by the CBA.

The new rule prevents players who miss more than 17 regular season games from earning individual accolades. This makes Kyrie automatically ineligible to contend for the MVP award and an All-NBA nod despite averaging decent numbers as a star guard. Perhaps the primary focus for the veteran guard at the moment would be to lead the Mavericks to a deep playoff run this season.

The Mavericks stand eighth on the Western Conference table, with a record of 29-23 in the league. If Kyrie Irving and Luka Doncic are both able to suit up for the remaining games in the regular season, perhaps the duo can help the Mavs stitch together a run of wins and climb in the standings to secure a top seed.