DALLAS (AP) — Kyrie Irving suffered a left knee sprain Monday night and shot free throws for the Mavericks — with tears rolling down his cheeks — before leaving the floor in obvious pain late in the first quarter of Dallas’ 122-98 loss to the Sacramento Kings.
Irving was fouled by DeMar DeRozan on a drive to the basket and his right foot landed on the foot of the Kings’ Jonas Valanciunas. He lost his balance and then landed awkwardly on his left leg, and his knee appeared to hyperextend before he fell to the floor.
The Mavericks provided no postgame updates on the nature of Irving’s injury.
“Just unlucky,” coach Jason Kidd said. “I hope that he’s healthy, that it’s not serious.”
After he was hurt, Irving grabbed his leg and remained on the floor for multiple minutes. Injured forward Anthony Davis was among those helping Irving to the locker room before Kidd spoke to Irving, who then returned to take two free throws. After converting both to pull Dallas within 23-18, Irving was helped into the tunnel, and the Mavs quickly ruled him out for the rest of the night.
“That’s just who, I mean, Kai’s a tough guy,” Kidd said. “I asked him as they were taking him off the court, ‘Are you good if you leave without shooting? You’re ruled out.’ So they took him to the free-throw line, and he shot the free throws and then we got him out.”
Irving’s decision to shoot free throws was reminiscent of the late Kobe Bryant, who made two game-tying foul shots for the Los Angeles Lakers after tearing his Achilles tendon late in the fourth quarter of a victory over Golden State on April 12, 2013.
A nine-time All-Star, Irving came in averaging 25.0 points per game and has become Dallas’ primary outside shooting threat following the trade of superstar Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers on Feb. 1.
The Mavericks were already playing without Davis — who left his only game for Dallas on Feb. 8 with a groin injury after being acquired for Doncic — as well as Daniel Gafford, Dereck Lively II and P.J. Washington Jr.
Dallas also lost reserve guard Jaden Hardy in the third period to a right ankle sprain and finished with nine players.
“It seems every time we get close to getting somebody back, someone goes down,” Kidd said. “Tonight, both Hardy and Kai go down. So, we’re running out of bodies here.”
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