Stuck in the infirmary and back, Kyrie Irving had missed the last five matches due to a crushed intervertebral disc in his lower back. In the defeat against the Nuggets, he was finally able to make his comeback, with 11 points at 4/18 on the shoot.
“My back is much better. The last two weeks have been difficult,” entrust the 2016 NBA champion. “I'd never really had any back problems before, so I had an MRI and discovered my disc injury. I spoke to some experts, teammates, guys on the staff who have had surgery or experienced this. You have to be smart with that. I was lucky to be able to come back and play. »
Kyrie Irving even says he felt like he was “got up from the couch and decided to play an NBA game” this Tuesday. Is he now capable of stringing together meetings? “We have to manage it as best we can. We are not at the stage where we need surgery, thank God. You have to be smart, and not be too careful either. It is likely that I will play the next match. »
Grit your teeth again and again
This will certainly not be the case for Derek Lively II, hit in the right ankle at the start of the match. He will be “probably” absent this Wednesday against the Pelicans said Jason Kidd. “We still have to deal with the injuries”laments the coach in the face of the incessant movements in the Dallas infirmary in recent weeks.
“You have to move on, manage your emotions, give yourself courage and give it to the guys,” announces Kyrie Irving. “We have another unfortunate injury with Derek Lively II. We have to overcome this injury problem and continue to move forward. The season won't be perfect, there's no point expecting that. We are in the middle of it and we have to deal with it. We will do our best and we must stay united. »
The period is complicated for the Mavericks, who remain on seven defeats in nine matches while in the next ten days, they will have to face the Thunder twice, as well as the Celtics. Still without Luka Doncic who could, for his part, return before the All-Star Game is cut…
