Mavericks season gets even worse with Kyrie Irving's season-ending injury

The Mavericks cant have anything nice.

A month after trading franchise favorite Luka Doncic to the Lakers on Feb.

2, Mavericks point guard Kyrie Irving suffered a concerning leg injury in Monday's 122-98 loss to the Kings (32-28, ninth in Western Conference).

( h/t NBA reporter Grant Afseth ) Kyrie Irving was clearly in pain with a leg injury but refused to leave the court before he shot two free throws similar to his mentor Kobe Bryant.

Anthony Davis was among those who helped Irving off the court and into the locker room.

Dallas Mavericks fans chant MVP! pic.twitter.com/70lSWNnma6 Irving took two free throws before leaving the game.

Injured forward Anthony Davis, acquired in the trade that sent Doncic to Los Angeles, assisted Irving off the court afterward.

It was later learned on Tuesday that Irving suffered a season-ending ACL tear in his left knee, per ESPN's Shams Charania.

Dallas couldnt afford to lose Irving for an extended period.

With Davis (adductor strain) sidelined, Irving is the teams best player.

Even when Davis is healthy, hes the Mavs best playmaker since they traded Doncic.

The Mavericks (32-30, 10th in the Western Conference) are 6-6 since the infamous Doncic trade.

During that stretch, Irving has averaged 28.1 points, 5.8 rebounds, 4.1 assists, 1.8 steals and one block per game.

Dallas appears safe to make the play-in tournament, but that could change, especially with Irving sidelined for the remainder of the season.

Its four games ahead of the Suns (28-33, 11th in Western Conference) for the Wests final play-in tournament spot.

Phoenix has its issues after forward Kevin Durant said the Suns "embarrassed ourselves" following a 116-98 loss to the Timberwolves (33-29, eighth in Western Conference) on Sunday.

However, with the talent on Phoenix's roster, a late-season push cant be ruled out, especially if the Mavericks crater.

Considering their woes, it's feasible.

Davis and Irving are both battling injuries.

Making matters worse, young backup shooting guard Jaden Hardy, who could play significant minutes in the frontcourt depending on Irving's prognosis, appeared to injure his lower right leg.

(h/t Afseth) Injuries worsen for the Dallas Mavericks.

Jaden Hardy was in pain and had to be helped up before limping to the locker room.

pic.twitter.com/HdjDn7TAGe At this point, Mavericks fans should be numb to the pain.

But for those who still havent been desensitized, Irvings injury could strike their last nerve.

Eric Smithling is a writer based in New Orleans, LA, whose byline also appears on Athlon Sports.

He has been with Yardbarker since September 2022, primarily covering the NFL and college football, but also the NBA, WNBA, mens and womens college basketball, NHL, tennis and golf.

He holds a film studies degree from the University of New Orleans.

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