DALLAS (AP) — Kyrie Irving is being listed as out for the Dallas Mavericks’ regular-season home finale against Detroit on…
DALLAS (AP) — Kyrie Irving is being listed as out for the Dallas Mavericks’ regular-season home finale against Detroit on Friday night, which would end the star guard’s streak of 31 consecutive games played.
The designation for Irving, who has been on his longest stretch of games since 2015-16, is left hamstring soreness. Co-star Luka Doncic, the NBA scoring leader, also is listed as questionable with left ankle soreness.
With two games remaining, the Mavericks are guaranteed to finish no lower than fifth in the Western Conference.
Dallas has a chance for the No. 4 seed and home-court advantage in the first round against the Los Angeles Clippers. The Mavs would have to win their final two games while LA loses twice.
Irving was acquired in a blockbuster deal with Brooklyn last season but his time together with Doncic was limited by injuries in the two months together and the Mavericks missed the playoffs.
Injuries were an issue again for Irving this season, with a bruised heel and a sprained thumb combining to sideline the 32-year-old for 18 of 28 games from December to February.
Dallas was 26-23 when Irving returned from the thumb injury, then went 24-7 with him in the lineup to surge from a spot in the play-in tournament to a guaranteed playoff berth among the top six in the West.
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