Dallas Mavericks point guard Kyrie Irving returned to the lineup last night against the Utah Jazz after missing 12 games with a right heel contusion.
Irving played 32 minutes versus the Jazz and finished with 14 points, nine rebounds and four assists while shooting 6-of-14 from the field and 2-of-3 from beyond the arc.
“I was excited to get back out there,” Irving said. “It was a long time coming the last few weeks just trying to ease my way back into the flow of things. We’ve been playing well. I feel like we’ve dropped some games we could have won. But we’re in a good spot right now. I didn’t want to come back and step on anyone’s toes for my first game back. Just wanted to get a good feel going up and down and see how my heel feels and work through the mental side of things of being away from the game.”
Despite Irving returning to the lineup, the Mavericks lost to the Jazz by 37 points. Dallas is now 19-15 on the season, good for seventh place in the Western Conference standings.
NBA NEWS & RUMORS: Kyrie Irving, Dallas Mavericks Updates
Irving is averaging 22.5 points, 4.2 rebounds and 5.1 assists this season while shooting 46.9% from the field, 39.1% from 3 and 88.9% from the foul line. He admitted that his foot injury was scary.
“Oh yeah. I was scared man. I was very scared,” Irving said. “Once I got home, it was a struggle even going to sleep. You could feel the throbbing. I was unsure of the significance of the injury and how long I was going to be out. It was a freak accident. It was. Everybody saw it. It was one of those plays that could have gone either way. I could have broken my ankle. I’m just grateful.”
NBA NEWS & RUMORS: Kyrie Irving, Dallas Mavericks Updates
Irving and the Mavericks are back in action on Wednesday when they host the Portland Trail Blazers.
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