Dallas Mavericks Injury Report (Dec. 23): Latest on Tim Hardaway Jr. and Kyrie Irving's status
The Dallas Mavericks will look to snap a three-game losing skid when they host the team with the worst record in the West, the San Antonio Spurs, on Saturday. The Spurs have lost 23 of their 27 games and are on a three-game losing skid. Meanwhile, the Mavs have 16 wins and 12 losses and are seventh in the standings.
Dallas has yet to announce its injury report for the game, as it played the Houston Rockets on Friday. The Mavs suffered a blowout loss (122-96), playing without both Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving.
Tim Hardaway Jr. was among the top scorers with 16 points, and he will be in the lineup on Saturday against the Spurs. Hardaway Jr. has appeared in 25 games so far, averaging 17.4 ppg, on 35.8 percent from 3-point range.
Meanwhile, Kyrie Irving (23.0 ppg, 5.2 apg, 38.4 percent from deep in 17 games) missed his seventh straight game, as he's still recovering from a right heel contusion. The franchise hasn't announced any timetable for his return and the expectation is that he will sit out the San Antonio game.
It's also unclear whether Luka Doncic (quad strain), Dereck Lively II (ankle sprain), Josh Green (elbow sprain), Maxi Kleber (small toe dislocation) and Dante Exum (lower leg contusion) will play on Saturday. All five of them were out on Friday.
The Dallas Mavericks struggled against the Rockets, shooting just 15 for 54 from the field and 3 for 24 from beyond the arc.
Dallas Mavericks vs San Antonio Spurs game preview
The Dallas Mavericks are expected to be short-handed for a second straight game, but they are capable of beating the San Antonio Spurs, who struggle on both ends despite the presence of the No. 1 pick from the 2023 NBA draft, Victor Wembanyama.
Without Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving, the Mavs had a significant problem offensively and will want to change that on Saturday.
"When you can’t put the ball in the basket, you’ve got to get stops, and we just didn’t do that tonight," Dallas Mavericks coach Jason Kidd said on Friday, via NBA.com.
"Being shorthanded puts things into perspective of how important Luka is to the team and how much he creates for everyone. If he can’t go tomorrow, we’ve got to find a way to create shots."
This is the second game between the two teams this season. The Mavs won the season opener vs the Spurs on Oct. 26 (126-119).