Kyrie Irving Sidelined with Back Injury as Mavericks Face Pelicans

DALLAS, Texas — Dallas Mavericks guard Kyrie Irving was ruled out for Wednesday night’s road game against the New Orleans Pelicans due to a bulging disc in his lower back. Irving had initially planned to play both games of a back-to-back but was sidelined after scoring 11 points on 4-of-18 shooting in Tuesday’s 118-99 loss to the Memphis Grizzlies.

“It’s a bulging disc in your back, so just got to do your best to manage it,” Irving said after Tuesday’s game. “It’s not to the point where it’s bad enough where I need surgery, which I’m grateful to God, but I have the support of my medical staff. A few other people in this locker room deal with the same thing. So just being smart about it, that’s it. Not being too cautious.”

The Mavericks were further depleted by the absence of starting center Dwight Powell, who suffered a sprained right ankle in the first quarter of Tuesday’s loss. Luka Dončić, Irving’s co-star, has not played since straining his left calf on Christmas Day and is scheduled to be reevaluated in the last week of January.

The Pelicans also faced injury challenges, with Zion Williamson sitting out the second night of a back-to-back as part of his return-to-competition reconditioning. New Orleans was without starters Brandon Ingram (ankle) and Herb Jones (shoulder), both sidelined for extended periods due to injuries.

The Mavericks, already struggling with a 22-16 record, face mounting pressure as injuries continue to disrupt their lineup. Meanwhile, the Pelicans, at 23-15, aim to maintain their playoff positioning despite their own injury woes.