Kyrie Irving was ruled out for Sunday’s Mavericks vs Celtics matchup, leaving the Dallas Mavericks without one of their key players as they tried to manage a difficult stretch on the road.
The status change mattered because Irving had been listed as questionable before being officially ruled out. The game also came on the second night of a back-to-back, which added to the concern around his availability.
Dallas entered Sunday with some momentum to regain after back-to-back losses. The Mavericks were coming off a 39-point defeat to the Minnesota Timberwolves on Thursday and then a loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers on Saturday, a game in which Cleveland sat its entire starting five.
That context made Irving’s absence more notable. The Mavericks were already dealing with the challenge of a third straight road game, and losing Irving for the Boston matchup changed the lineup options available to them.
Irving’s return to Boston also carried an added storyline because of his past tenure there. Even without that background, Sunday’s game represented another test for a Dallas team trying to steady itself after a rough start to the trip.
For the Mavericks, the immediate question was simple: how much could they absorb without Irving against a Celtics team awaiting them at home? With his status changed from questionable to out, Dallas had to adjust once again before tipoff.
