The biggest question for the Mavericks heading into Friday night in Indiana is a simple one: will Kyrie Irving play on the first night of a back-to-back?
As of the 10 a.m. EST injury report, the answer appears to be yes.
Irving is not listed, which puts him in line to be available against the Pacers. Dallas could still monitor how he comes through the game, but the early report gives them a green light.
That matters because this is the first back-to-back of the season for the Mavericks, with Friday’s road game against Indiana followed by a home meeting with the San Antonio Spurs on Saturday. Irving has been one of the main storylines around Dallas ever since he returned to the court after a long layoff, and his status was always going to draw attention.
The concern is understandable. Irving tore his ACL in March 2025 and went 597 days between games before appearing in the season opener.
He is also 34 years old, which naturally raised questions about how Dallas would manage him on consecutive nights. Before the season, he talked about the level of communication that would exist with the training staff when back-to-backs come up.
He also played only 23 minutes in Wednesday’s season-opening loss to the Houston Rockets, a game that got away from Dallas fast. The Mavericks were outscored 38-12 in the second quarter, and Irving called the effort "horrendous" afterward.
The rest of Dallas’ injury report looks familiar. Center Dereck Lively II remains out while he continues to recover from right foot surgery in December. No timeline has been provided for his return, with the team simply wanting him to be healthy.
Santi Aldama is still working back from right knee surgery, though head coach Dusty May has continued to say he is close to returning. Sharpshooting wing Tarik Biberovic remains sidelined with right heel bursitis, and wing Caleb Martin is still out with a right thumb sprain. Jett Howard, on a two-way contract, is doubtful because of right calf tightness and soreness.
Indiana has its own list to watch. Johnny Furphy, who is recovering from right ACL surgery, and T.J.
McConnell, who has a right hamstring strain, are out. Aaron Nesmith, dealing with a left hamstring strain, and Ben Sheppard, with left knee soreness, are questionable.
The Pacers also list two-way players Kobe Brown and Jalen Slawson as probable, while Braden Smith is doubtful.
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