Is the NBA season run over for the Dallas Mavericks? It is a question that would have been going through the minds of quite a few fans over the last few weeks. For 13 games now, the Mavericks squad has been without Luka Doncic. This absence has directly caused them to lose 9 of the games now, and reduce their win record down to 23-21. If the situation could not get any worse for the Mavericks, more player injuries have now plagued the team. While other star players like Kyrie Irving are doing their part to keep the team afloat, they cannot do it alone. This belief is something that even the team head coach is highlighting now.

Jason Kidd spoke out in the aftermath of the Mavericks’ 114-115 loss against the Minnesota Timberwolves. A reporter brought up PJ Washington’s performance during the presser, as the player had delivered an aggressive performance to make 30 points. This helped to make a substantial dent in the scoring, alongside Kyrie Irving’s game-high 36 points. When asked if Washington should be this aggressive given that so many Mavericks stars are now down due to injuries, Kidd highlighted that aggressiveness has been the player’s trait since the early part of the season. Furthermore, at a time like this, other players also need to follow suit with their ferociousness to assist the lead scorers on the offense.

“I thought him and Ky (Kyrie Irving), you know, set the tone, for us. We need one of those guys to go big, and they both went big tonight. And so, again, we just need someone else to chip in,” said Kidd. “We had great looks, I thought Ky made some great passes when he got, you know, to the rim. And so those shots, hopefully, go down tomorrow night.”

The above-mentioned remarks by Jason Kidd came around the same time that Kyrie Irving was interviewed by the media in the locker room. During the Q&A session, the veteran emphasized on the need to stay in the moment. After all, “if we don’t stay present, if we don’t put our best foot forward, we’re going to get blown out every game, man”. Irving considers him and his teammates to be someone who do not choose to throw in the towel early. He admits to realizing that the NBA is the “toughest league” in the world. Staying relevant is not always easy. Therefore, even though the continuous losses have reduced the Mavericks’ “margin for error”, Irving is not ready to give up yet.

“These guys are going to grow up and, I know that everybody on the outside is going to be looking towards the future. Whatever they feel, but for us we just got to focus on what we got going on in this locker room and maintain our goals man, which is continue to get better” said the 32-year-old. “And, we were screaming ‘Championship, Championship’, about two months ago. That’s still in the back of our mind. But, we would love to go at it with a healthy group. And, if we don’t get a chance to do that for the next month, or next few weeks, then got to adjust there.”

Since Luka Doncic got injured in the Christmas Day matchup, Kyrie Irving has certainly upped his game. Except for the recent Phoenix Suns, Houston Rockets, and Denver Nuggets matchups, the 2016 NBA champion has not scored below 20 points. His average score, for January, stands at 24.2 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 4.2 assists. However, Irving himself has dealt with quite a few injuries in the last few weeks. Furthermore, if the 4-9 record has shown anything, he is simply not enough to help the Mavericks’ plight now.

To not sugarcoat the situation at all, one thing is certain. It is that the situation for the Dallas Mavericks will not improve anytime soon. Luka Doncic has only begun shooting standstill jumpers in his rehab process. Dereck Lively II’s right ankle sprain may keep him ‘OUT’ for at least 2-3 months. Furthermore, 5 additional players were listed ‘OUT’ for the Timberwolves matchup. Unfortunately, losing at this stage only thins the Mavericks’ chances to reach the playoffs. Therefore, going into the upcoming game, Kyrie Irving has some expectations for his team members.

Kyrie Irving wants “All-Out Warfare” during the upcoming OKC matchup: “I’m looking forward to it”

Given the Dallas Mavericks’ precarious position, the team should be given a brief respite from the tension, right? Unfortunately, fate, or rather the NBA schedule, has something else in store for the team. After all, the franchise’s next matchup is set to take place against the Oklahoma City Thunder. The same franchise that is currently tied with the Cleveland Cavaliers for the best win record (36-7) this season. Therefore, this should be the perfect excuse to throw in the towel, right? Well, not if Kyrie Irving has his way.

“An all-out blitz. All-out warfare,” said Irving when describing his expectations for Thursday’s game. “Any time we go against OKC, playing against a top MVP candidate like Shai [Gilgeous-Alexander] and his team, it’s going to be a great, competitive challenge, so I’m looking forward to it.”

Sports Illustrated has described the Mavericks-OKC rivalry as amongst the “hottest” this season. After all, at least each game between them has been filled with physical play, chippy moments, and smack talk. The last time the two teams met, five technical fouls were given out. Lu Dort was dragged off the court. Who knows what can happen next, when the two teams meet for the final time in the 2024-25 regular season? Therefore, Kyrie Irving is looking to not leave anything to chance.