Mavericks' Kyrie Irving Will Not Play Against Grizzlies Due to Back Injury
The Dallas Mavericks will face the Memphis Grizzlies on Monday night to open a back-to-back but will do so without Luka Dončić, Kyrie Irving, and Danté Exum. All three players will be ruled out on the team’s upcoming injury report.
Dončić (left calf strain) and Exum (right wrist surgery) remain sidelined without a clear timetable for return. Irving, who missed Friday’s loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers due to illness, will miss Monday’s game with a back sprain, head coach Jason Kidd said Sunday. Irving last played Wednesday, scoring 16 points with seven rebounds in a 110-99 loss to the Houston Rockets.
“ Good practice today—energy was high,” Kidd said. “Worked on rebounding, taking care of the ball, and just having time to be able to practice with the guys that have been out. Now, knowing that they’re out, we looked at some guys—different rotations or different combinations.”
Naji Marshall, averaging 10.9 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 2.2 assists, is set to return from a four-game suspension. Kidd emphasized the value of Marshall’s defensive impact and offensive versatility.
“ Just his health, happy to have another healthy body back,” Kidd said. “His ability to play defense, his ability to handle, and then also on the offensive end.”
The Mavericks enter Monday’s game on a four-game losing streak, dropping five of their last six. Coming off a 134-122 loss against the Cleveland Cavaliers on Saturday, Kidd stressed the importance of a “next man up” mentality.
“ I wouldn’t say it feels different. It’s just part of the season,” Kidd said. “You’re going to have your ups and your downs. You try to minimize your downs. We lost four in a row, and we’ve got to find a way to get a win that’s the next game in Memphis. Next man up mentality and, unfortunately, have some injuries. We got to play with the guys that can suit up, and we believe that we can find a way to win.”
Managing injuries has been a recurring theme for Dallas this season, but Kidd expressed confidence in the team’s ability to regain momentum.
“ I think a lot of times January is a month that you just try to get through healthy and win as many games, but unfortunately, the injury bug has hit us,” Kidd explained. “Our depth, we believe that we have guys that can hold it together until we can get healthy.”
Memphis returns from a five-game road trip after facing Golden State on Saturday. The Grizzlies have yet to submit an official injury report, but Ja Morant remains out with an AC joint sprain. Memphis was without Santi Aldama (ankle sprain), Marcus Smart (finger), Vince Williams Jr. (ankle), GG Jackson II (foot), Luke Kennard (hamstring), John Konchar (shoulder), and Yuki Kawamura (AC joint) against the Warriors.
Dallas will host the Los Angeles Lakers on Tuesday to complete the back-to-back. Irving’s availability for that game remains uncertain.
