The Dallas Mavericks suffered a brutal 122-98 loss to the Sacramento Kings on March 3, 2025, but the biggest blow of the night wasn’t on the scoreboard—it was Kyrie Irving’s injury. Early in the first quarter, Irving drove to the basket, made contact with DeMar DeRozan, and landed awkwardly, immediately grabbing his left knee in pain. Though he briefly returned to sink two free throws, he was ruled out for the remainder of the game with what has now been diagnosed as a left knee sprain.
This injury couldn’t have come at a worse time for the Mavericks, who are already dealing with a long list of setbacks. Anthony Davis remains sidelined with an adductor strain, Jaden Hardy suffered an ankle injury in the third quarter, and big men Daniel Gafford and Derrick Lively are also unavailable. With their roster depth shrinking, Dallas is facing a serious challenge in staying competitive as the playoff race intensifies.
After the game, head coach Jason Kidd didn’t hold back when discussing the emotional impact of the team’s injury crisis.
“You know, I hope that he’s healthy, it’s not serious,” Kidd said about Irving’s situation. “Guys are trying to hold it together to get, you know, other bodies back, and it just seems like every time we’re getting close to getting someone back, someone goes down.”
Kidd made it clear that losing Irving was a gut punch to the locker room. “I think everybody’s seeing Ky in the locker room probably took, you know, some wind out of their sails. Their leader, you know, laying there.”
Despite the devastating injuries, Kidd urged his team to keep pushing forward. “No matter who’s in the jersey, we’re going to go out there to try to find a way to win. But we’re running out of guys.”
Kings Take Advantage of Short-Handed Mavericks
Even before Irving’s exit, the Mavericks were already struggling against a Sacramento Kings team that has been surging lately. Zach LaVine torched Dallas with 22 points on a scorching 66.7% shooting night, while DeMar DeRozan added 20 points. Keegan Murray also stepped up, contributing 18 points with four three-pointers, and Jonas Valančiūnas dominated the paint with 14 points and nine rebounds in the absence of Domantas Sabonis.
Sacramento took control early, heading into halftime with a 60-50 lead. But it was the third quarter where they truly put the game away, outscoring Dallas 34-16 and effectively sealing their fourth consecutive win. The Kings’ efficiency was on full display, shooting 52.2% from the field and 47.1% from three-point range.
On the Mavericks’ side, Kai Jones was a bright spot, leading the team with 21 points off the bench. However, Spencer Dinwiddie struggled, shooting just 2-for-12 from the field despite finishing with 10 points and six assists. Klay Thompson had an unusually quiet night, managing only three points in 24 minutes.
The Mavericks have yet to release an official timeline for Irving’s return, but knee sprains often require weeks of recovery. With Anthony Davis, Jaden Hardy, Daniel Gafford, and Derrick Lively already out, the team is running out of reliable options.
Dallas recently acquired Kai Jones in an effort to bolster their frontcourt depth, but with so many key players sidelined, the road ahead looks increasingly difficult. As Kidd put it, “We’re running out of guys.”
With the Western Conference playoff race heating up, the Mavericks must find a way to stay afloat until reinforcements arrive. Their upcoming schedule won’t be forgiving, and without Irving’s playmaking and scoring ability, the team faces an uphill battle to remain competitive.
For now, all eyes are on Irving’s recovery and whether Dallas can weather this storm without falling too far behind in the standings.
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