"Want to curse right now": Kyrie Irving's thumb woes fuel Mavs' frustration after loss as injuries pile up
Kyrie Irving sprained his right thumb in the first possession of the game between the Boston Celtics and Dallas Mavericks on Monday. Irving suffered the injury after swiping the ball off the hands of former teammate Jayson Tatum. After the game, “Uncle Drew” had a brace wrapped around his thumb as he talked to reporters.
Irving has now been ruled questionable by the Mavericks heading into Wednesday's game against the Phoenix Suns. He joined Seth Curry (ankle sprain), Luka Doncic (lower back tightness) and Dante Exum (right plantar sprain) as questionable for the said matchup.
Speaking to the Dallas Morning News, Kyrie Irving had this to say about his team's injuries:
“Man, I honestly want to curse right now and say eff this stuff that’s going on. You know what I’m saying? I don’t want to take these knick-knack injuries, but it comes with the territory.”
The eight-time All-Star missed 12 games last month due to a heel contusion. He returned in time for the New Year’s Day game against the Utah Jazz and contributed 19 points, nine rebounds, four assists and one block. It will be unfortunate if he misses another game as he has been playing well since his return.
Like Irving, Luka Doncic is also dealing with a myriad of injuries. The Slovenian sat out three games because of an ankle sprain before returning against the LA Lakers on Jan. 18. One game after his comeback, he is on the injury list again due to lower back tightness.
The Dallas Mavericks are still in eighth place in the Western Conference with a 24-19 record. They could easily fall the standings if Kyrie Irving and Doncic continue to be compromised by injuries.
Dallas will need Kyrie Irving and Luka Doncic healthy ahead of a tough 10-game schedule
The Dallas Mavericks face a brutal schedule heading into the All-Star break. They will badly need Kyrie Irving and Luka Doncic to be available for their next 10 games.
After the Suns game, the Mavericks will have to face the Atlanta Hawks, Sacramento Kings, Orlando Magic, Minnesota Timberwolves and Milwaukee Bucks. They will go on the road to face the Philadelphia 76ers, Brooklyn Nets and New York Knicks.
Kyrie Irving and teammates will return to Dallas on Feb. 10 to take on the young and exciting Thunder. They will then host the Washington Wizards and the San Antonio Spurs before the All-Star break.
If Irving and Doncic miss some of the games during that stretch, the Dallas Mavericks may be outside the top 10 in the Western Conference. “Uncle Drew” will not use injuries as an excuse if the Mavericks struggle. Still, it will be an uphill climb to have a winning road against the said teams if Dallas’ two superstars will be unavailable in some of the games.