Kyrie Irving Injury Update: Latest on Mavericks All-Star's availability for rivals week showdown vs Suns (January 24)

Kyrie Irving's injury update was a major concern ahead of the rivals' week showdown between the Dallas Mavericks and Phoenix Suns on Wednesday. Irving was questionable with a thumb injury. The All-Star guard has dealt with various ailments already, limiting him to only 27 games this season.

Irving will not play against the Suns , his availability wass crucial for the Mavericks against the star-studded Suns, who are on a six-game winning streak. Irving's 25.2 points and 5.3 assists per game on 47/41/90 splits could have come in handy for Dallas in this contest, especially considering the Mavericks' role players' streaky form.

The Mavericks are 15-12 with Irving and 9-7 without him. These are nearly identical records. However, Irving's absence against the Suns will be critical as it will restrict Dallas to have a better chance of matching the combined contributions of Phoenix's star players.

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Kyrie Irving injury update vs. Phoenix Suns

Irving revealed his injury to reporters after the Dallas Mavericks' 119-110 loss to the Boston Celtics on Monday. He said he was in pain but wasn't expecting to miss time. The x-rays also returned negative. However, Irving was wearing a brace all this time and looking at the seriousness of the injury he has been listed out of the game.

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What happened to Kyrie Irving?

Irving sustained a thumb injury against the Celtics on Monday after trying to swipe the ball off Jayson Tatum's hands on the first play. He sprained his thumb due to that incident. It was the second game in a row where Irving suffered a contact blow.

On Jan. 17 against the LA Lakers, Irving suffered a leg injury after LeBron James collided with him. Prior to that, Irving missed 11 games because of a foot injury. He missed six other games because of a foot injury. The thumb sprain is the latest ailment he's dealing with.

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Kyrie Irving could suit up Atlanta Hawks on Friday if he misses game vs. Suns

It's clear that Kyrie Irving hasn't sustained a significant injury. It's only a sprain for now, as the MRIs were negative. If he does miss the game vs. the Phoenix Suns on Wednesday, Irving will likely suit up on Friday against the Atlanta Hawks as Dallas takes a short trip to Georgia on the front of a back-to-back.

The Mavericks will be glad Irving isn't facing another long-term absence as the team has struggled a bit of late, losing four of their last six games. Dallas has dropped to eighth in the Western Conference standings amid its recent slump, which sees its record at 24-19.