Mavs Keep Fighting, But Injuries 'Taking a Toll'; Dallas Needs Kyrie Irving Back
DALLAS – The Dallas Mavericks have an 18-14 record through 32 games, which is something most fans probably would've been happy with if they'd been told that would be the case before the season began. That Dallas has been able to have the success it has despite having a handful of key contributors sidelined with injuries makes the start even more impressive and strengthens Luka Doncic's MVP case.
However, after initially keeping their heads above water in December, the Mavs seem to have reached their limit when it comes to playing shorthanded, as they've now lost five of their last seven games. They have a 7-8 record in December and must defeat the Golden State Warriors on Saturday to break even heading into the new year.
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The latest loss came with both Doncic and Kyrie Irving being out, as the undermanned Mavs put up a good fight against the best team in the West, the Minnesota Timberwolves, but ultimately came up short, 118-110.
“Just making sure we stay together, stay connected. I think we did a great job of that. We’re dealing with a lot of injuries right now. Guys are starting to come back. We’re just doing a great job of staying connected and competing," said Tim Hardaway Jr., who finished with a team-best 32 points on 11-19 shooting. With that being said, though, Hardaway admits that Dallas' margin for error has been razor thin.
“It showed tonight," Hardaway said of the injuries taking a toll on the Mavs. "It kills me to see Ant-man (Anthony Edwards) go 14 of 18 (from the free-throw line). Us turning the ball over (18) times. That’s not a recipe for success, especially when you have a lot of men out. Overall, I thought we did a great job of competing and giving ourselves a chance.”
The good news for the Mavs is that Irving is close to making his anticipated return to action after missing the last 11 games to a heel contusion he suffered on Dec. 8 against the Portland Trail Blazers. It has yet to be determined if Irving will return on Saturday in San Fransisco or not, but he will be back on the court sooner than later, and that's something the Mavs – and Doncic, specifically – sorely need in order to get things back on track.
