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Did Derrick Lively Outshine Wembanyama in Debut
Did Derrick Lively Outshine Wembanyama in Debut

Dallas Mavs' Kyrie Irving to Return From Injury Against Denver Nuggets

NBA All-Star Kyrie Irving will return to the Mavs' lineup for the team's road matchup against the reigning champion Nuggets.

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Dallas Mavericks
Dallas Mavericks
Denver Nuggets
Denver Nuggets

DENVER — Kyrie Irving was sidelined for the Dallas Mavericks' two previous games due to a left foot sprain. The Mavs overcame the All-Star guard's absence by achieving wins over the Memphis Grizzlies and Chicago Bulls to sustain an undefeated 4-0 record to begin the season. 

According to Shams Charania of The Athletic, Irving will return to the Mavs' lineup for their matchup against the Denver Nuggets. The matchup marks the first game with an in-season tournament implication of Dallas' season. 

Irving was considered questionable to play on Thursday, the day the Mavs traveled to Denver. He was previously considered questionable before the team's two previous games before later being downgraded to doubtful and ultimately being ruled out. 

While Irving was sidelined, he remained focused on taking the necessary steps to be prepared to return from injury without sacrificing conditioning. With his return game being in Denver, having the necessary conditioning has added significance, given the difficulties players tend to encounter with the altitude. 

"[I’m] doing everything possible to be smart about where my body is," Irving told DallasBasketball.com on Wednesday. "Just taking the necessary steps with our training staff to ensure I stay in shape. One of the worst things is to deal with injuries in preseason, but it's all part of the game. You don't want an injury to carry over into the longevity of the season."

In the two games Irving has played to begin the season, he's averaged 19.5 points, 6.0 assists and 4.5 rebounds. He's shooting 39.0 percent from the floor, 16.7 percent from 3-point range, and has yet to miss on free throws by shooting at a perfect 100.0 percent clip. 

While the Mavs will have Irving in the lineup against the Nuggets, they will not have coach Jason Kidd on the sidelines as he recovers from a non-COVID illness. Dallas still must determine the playing status of Maxi Kleber, who remains questionable due to a right small toe dislocation.