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Jamal CollierMar 5, 2025, 08:46 PM ET
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- Jamal Collier is an NBA reporter at ESPN. Collier covers the Milwaukee Dollars, Chicago Bulls and the Midwest area of the NBA, together with tales akin to Minnesota’s iconic jersey switch between Anthony Edwards and Justin Jefferson. He has been at ESPN since Sept. 2021 and prior to now lined the Bulls for the Chicago Tribune. You’ll achieve out to Jamal on Twitter @JamalCollier or by way of electronic mail Jamal.Collier@espn.com.
MILWAUKEE — Dallas Mavericks trainer Jason Kidd known as Kyrie Irving’s torn ACL a “freak coincidence” and refuted any perceived connection between the megastar guard’s greater enjoying time and the damage.
Within the 10 video games sooner than Irving was once harm Monday towards the Sacramento Kings, he was once averaging 39.3 mins (up from 35.9), probably the most within the NBA all the way through that span, which started after Dallas’ industry of Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers.
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Talking sooner than Wednesday evening’s matchup towards the Milwaukee Dollars, Kidd stated he didn’t recognize any connections drawn between Irving’s uptick in enjoying time and the season-ending damage.
“We are speaking about one play,” he stated. “Now not many sooner than that. It is a freak coincidence, that is the way it must be reported. We are reporting on conspiracy theories. We would like our stars to play. This is not intended to be a leisure league.”
Irving were the Mavs’ maximum constant participant this season. He was once averaging 24.7 issues, 4.8 rebounds and four.6 assists in 36.1 mins, and had performed in 50 of the workforce’s 62 video games. He was once decided on to his 9th All-Big name workforce in February.
“Kai is our chief,” Kidd stated. “Kai additionally was once enjoying at a prime degree; possibly one of the most perfect basketball that he is performed in his occupation. We will be able to’t communicate from all sides and say our stars do not play sufficient mins and guys do not play sufficient. They leisure. However now we are pronouncing they play an excessive amount of.”
Dallas already is enjoying with out Anthony Davis, who left his handiest recreation with the workforce on Feb. 8 on account of a groin damage. Dereck Energetic II, Daniel Gafford and Kai Jones even have been out.
Towards the Dollars, the Mavericks had handiest 8 wholesome avid gamers to be had and ended up dropping, 137-107.
