After raining on the Los Angeles Lakers parade with a 127-125 home victory, the Dallas Mavericks will host the Minnesota Timberwolves tonight. The Mavs are riding high on a four-game winning streak and hope to continue their upward trajectory. However, the injuries plaguing the team will be a cause for concern tonight against the top-seeded T-Wolves. The Wolves will look to bounce back after being overwhelmed by the Pelicans in a 121-107 defeat that ended their five-game winning streak.
Therefore, Kyrie Irving will be a crucial piece for the Mavs if they are to secure a win against one of the best defenses in the league. He sustained an injury a week ago against the Portland Trail Blazers, which has put a question mark on his availability tonight.
Kyrie Irving is ruled out against the T-Wolves
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Kyrie Irving sustained an injury during the second quarter of Friday’s game against the Blazers. Kai endured a right heel contusion after Dallas center Dwight Powell fell with his full body weight on Irving’s leg. Following the injury, it was reported that he was wearing a walking boot and using crutches. Head coach Jason Kidd later confirmed that there was no definitive timeline for his return.
DP falls on Kyrie's leg/ankle pic.twitter.com/kf0DkKRREp
— MavsHighlights (@MavsHighlights) December 9, 2023
He has missed two games since the injury, and tonight’s game against the Wolves will mark his third straight absence. Dallas will be without Kyrie, who is ruled out for tonight, as per the Mavericks injury report.
Along with Kyrie, Maxi Kleber (toe) and Josh Green (right elbow sprain) will also miss the matchup against the Wolves. Furthermore, Tim Hardaway Jr. (back), Seth Curry (ankle), and Derrick Jones Jr. (quadriceps) are all listed as game-time decisions.
Will Anthony Edwards play tonight?
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Minnesota, on the other hand, might also enter the contest shorthanded. Their athletic guard, Anthony Edwards, had to exit the game early due to his lingering hip injury. Just four minutes into the game, he was ruled out and didn’t return. He was absent from the lineup during the team’s loss against the Pelicans. He has now been upgraded to “questionable” ahead of their matchup against the Mavericks. Since the injury did not seem serious, and considering he had taken time off yesterday, there is a high chance that he might suit up tonight.
Joining Edward on the injury list are Jaden McDaniels (ankle) and Jordan McLaughlin (knee), who are also day-to-day. However, Jaylen Clark (Achilles) is the only one who is ruled out and will miss the first half of this season.
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Do you think the Mavericks will be able to continue their winning streak? Let us know in the comments!
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