Kyrie Irving suffers season-ending knee injury in further blow to Mavericks

Kyrie Irving's season has come to an abrupt end after suffering an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tear, adding to the Dallas Mavericks' woes since their split with Luka Doncic.

The 6-foot-2 guard was injured during the first quarter of Monday's 122-98 defeat to the Sacramento Kings. Attempting to navigate past two Kings defenders, Irving landed awkwardly on his left foot, hyperextending his knee in the process due to a foul by DeMar DeRozan.

After visibly struggling with pain on the court, the Mavericks star was unable to put any weight on his left leg. Despite this, Irving insisted on taking the two free throws, which he successfully made while fighting back tears, aided by his teammates to reach the charity stripe.

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LeBron James, Irving's former teammate, led tributes to the nine-time All-Star as it became increasingly apparent that his injury was severe. On Tuesday, reports confirmed the 32-year-old had suffered a season-ending ACL tear.

Irving was averaging 24.7 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 4.6 assists while shooting 47.3 percent from the court and 40.1 percent from beyond the arc in 50 games for Dallas this season.

Since trading Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers before the February trade deadline, the Mavericks have been on a downward trajectory. Following the midseason shakeup, Dallas has recorded a 6-7 run while losing several key players to injuries.

The trade included Anthony Davis, who was transferred to the American Airlines Center along with Max Christie and a 2029 first-round pick in exchange for Doncic. This significant trade sparked a dispute between the Mavs' loyal fans and the team's management, with irate supporters demanding the dismissal of general manager Nico Harrison for letting go of the Slovenian superstar.

After Monday's loss to Sacramento, Dallas dropped to a 32-30 record, ranking 10th in the Western Conference standings. On the other hand, the Lakers are on a roll after pairing James with Doncic, potentially creating the NBA's most powerful superstar duo.

With Doncic on the court, Los Angeles has a 6-2 record, even though the 6-foot-6 guard is still not at his peak performance after recently returning from an injury. The 26-year-old is averaging 22 points – shooting 39.2 percent from the floor and 27.1 percent for 3 – 8.3 rebounds, 6.8 assists, and 1.8 steals in the Purple and Gold jersey.

Over the past month, the Lakers have had a strong run, propelling them to second place in the West with a 38-21 record, positioning themselves as championship contenders in 2024-25.

In related news, following Irving's ACL tear announcement, reports surfaced that Mavs guard Jaden Hardy also left Monday's game against the Kings due to an injury and is expected to be out for a while with an ankle sprain.