The Dallas Mavericks have listed Kyrie Irving as questionable for Wednesday’s matchup against the Oklahoma City Thunder, with the team citing left knee injury management.
Irving, a former Duke standout, missed all of last season while recovering from a left ACL tear. This season, he has appeared in 11 games for Dallas and is averaging 19.0 points, 3.7 rebounds and 3.7 assists per game. He’s shooting 51.2% from the floor, 32.0% from 3 and 100.0% from the free-throw line.
Irving’s Duke run was short, but it left a mark. He played in only 11 games during the 2010-11 season, yet still posted 17.5 points, 3.4 rebounds and 4.3 assists per game while shooting 52.9% from the field, 46.2% from beyond the arc and 90.1% from the free-throw line. His top performance came against Michigan State on December 1, 2010, when he finished with 31 points, six rebounds and four assists in Duke’s 84-79 win.
That Duke team went 32-5 before falling to Arizona in the West Regional Semifinal. In the NCAA Tournament, Irving averaged 17.7 points, 2.3 rebounds and 2.0 assists per game, giving scouts a clear look at his scoring ability on the biggest stage in college basketball.
The Cleveland Cavaliers took him with the first overall pick in the 2011 NBA Draft after just those 11 games at Duke, and his pro résumé has only grown since then. Irving has played for the Cavaliers, Boston Celtics, Brooklyn Nets and Mavericks, and he won the 2016 NBA championship with LeBron James in Cleveland.
Entering this season, he held career averages of 23.7 points, 4.1 rebounds and 5.6 assists per game in the regular season, along with 23.0 points, 3.7 rebounds and 4.9 assists per game in the playoffs. He also averaged 24.7 points and 4.6 assists per game during the 2024-25 season before tearing his ACL.
Dallas also has another Duke name front and center in Cooper Flagg. He averaged 19.2 points, 7.5 rebounds and 4.2 assists per game in his lone season at Duke, with his best college outing coming against Notre Dame on January 11, 2025, when he had 42 points, six rebounds and seven assists.
The Mavericks selected Flagg with the first overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft. In 70 games during his rookie season, he averaged 21.0 points, 6.7 rebounds and 4.5 assists per game while shooting 46.8% from the field, 29.5% from 3 and 82.7% from the free-throw line. He also recorded 13 double-doubles and delivered his best game against the Orlando Magic on April 3, scoring 51 points in 33 minutes and becoming the first teenager and the youngest player in NBA history to score at least 50 points in a game.
In Other News...
Duke Fans Have One Huge Reason To Watch Asa Montgomery Today
There is plenty happening around Duke right now, but the spotlight today is on the recruiting trail, where five-star small forward Asa Montgomery is expected to announce his college commitment. For a program that keeps landing in the conversation for elite talent, this is the kind of decision that can shape both the immediate future and the long view, especially with the Blue Devils already carrying momentum from a roster that includes names like Kager Knueppel and Luke Paul.
The timing adds to the buzz, too, with former Duke standouts Cooper Flagg and Cameron Boozer off to strong starts in the NBA and the football program gearing up for a key home game against Boston College during a demanding stretch. Still, for basketball fans, Montgomerys announcement is the headline worth circling, because it could give Duke another major piece to build around and keep the programs talent pipeline rolling. [Read more 🡒]
Duke Freshmen Just Gave Jon Scheyer A Real Rotation Problem
Duke is coming out of preseason with something every coach wants and every rotation chart hates: options. As the Blue Devils get ready to host Army in their regular-season opener, a handful of freshmen have already made the case that they belong in the mix, with Joaquim Boumtje Boumtje, Deron Rippey Jr., Cameron Williams and Bryson Howard all showing different flashes of what they can bring. For Jon Scheyer, the early challenge is less about finding talent than figuring out how to sort through it.
The upside is obvious, but so is the uncertainty that comes with freshmen learning the pace and demands of college basketball. Some of those roles figure to change from game to game as Duke settles in, which gives the staff flexibility but also creates a tricky balancing act once the games start counting. The opener should offer a first real look at how much trust Scheyer is willing to place in that young group right away. [Read more 🡒]
Duke Faces A Real Test As Boston College Brings New Momentum
Boston College is showing up to this Atlantic Coast Conference matchup with a little more life than its record might suggest, and Duke will have to be ready for it. The Eagles have pieced together back-to-back comeback wins, leaning on the kind of late-game resilience that can change the feel of a season, and now they get their first meeting with Duke since 2022 in a game that should tell both teams something.
For the Blue Devils, the timing is interesting after a close win over Virginia, the kind of game that can either sharpen a team or leave it vulnerable if the edge slips. Duke will be watching its own health as well, with Walker Eget expected to play despite a recent finger injury, while Boston College brings Mason McKenzie, Bo MacCormack III and a bit of momentum into a matchup that suddenly looks more demanding than it might have a few weeks ago. [Read more 🡒]