Mavericks guard Kyrie Irving was held out of Saturday’s game at Memphis because of soreness in his right foot, writes Callie Caplan of The Dallas Morning News. Coach Jason Kidd informed reporters of the decision a couple of hours before gametime.
“He tried to go through the shootaround, went through the shootaround and from that point, felt like we needed to take a look at it when we got back home,” Kidd said. “So the best thing was to sit him tonight.”
The team will return to Dallas after tonight’s game and will host the Grizzlies on Monday. Irving’s status for that game will depend on what the medical testing reveals.
Kidd also said Luka Doncic is considered “day to day” with a left thigh strain that prevented him from finishing Wednesday’s game.
There’s more NBA news from Texas:
- Rockets guard Kevin Porter Jr. was relieved to be able to play tonight after missing just one game with a left thigh bruise, according to Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle. Porter expected to be day-to-day after an earlier injury to his left big toe, but he wound up missing 20 games. “It was definitely a frustration,” he said. “I want to play as much as I can. Definitely, missing those 20 games, I want to get as many games back that I missed. Injuries are part of the game. You just have to react and do your work after it happens.”
- Sandro Mamukelashvili didn’t play until the fourth quarter Friday night, but he scored 11 points in his matchup with reigning MVP Nikola Jokic to help the Spurs surprise the Nuggets, per Jeff McDonald of The San Antonio Express-News. Mamukelashvili has shown some promise in the three games since San Antonio claimed him off waivers last week, McDonald adds.
- Spurs rookie Julian Champagnie was a big scorer at St. John’s, but he tells Tom Orsborn of The San Antonio Express-News that he doesn’t mind being a role player while he tries to earn a steady NBA job. Champagnie has spent most of the season in the G League, but he got to play in a pair of games against the Rockets last weekend. “I don’t need too many shots,” he said. “I am a guy who fills the gap, and I am perfectly fine with that. It’s what I like to do anyway.”
So Irving and Durant were both acquired to lead the Mavs and Suns to the Western Championship series…and surprise surprise – they can’t play due to injuries.
The amazing thing for New York sports fans is that after years of Irving and Durant supposedly leading one of their basketball teams to a championship – only to cause one problem after another be it mental, physical, etc. – they now want to bring in a 39 year-old QB that carries similar baggage to lead one of their football teams to a Championship.
Rodgers is way more worth it
Disagree KD Kyrie Harden is better than anything Rodger will do with the jets
Kyrie didn’t want that smoke!
That bench guy scored how much of that jokeic MVP. Like a fat kid keeping the ball. No defense
Not following you. If the fat kid has the ball…he can’t play defense. And his 10 assists per game that he averages tells me that he is not playing keep away. Explain please.
Let’s be honest if the fat kid gets the ball he’s gonna eat it but everyone is gonna laugh that’s a fact