A lot of this stems back to the 2024 playoffs when Dallas beat the top-seeded Thunder in the second round in six games, but this is becoming one of the best rivalries in the NBA, and Kyrie Irving had an up-close view of all of it.

Wednesday’s controversial loss to the New Orleans Pelicans was an example of Irving’s latest injury management because of a bulging disc in his back. Irving said Tuesday that he would “most likely” play in a game that was on the road after the Mavericks suffered a lopsided loss at home to Denver the night before.

Kyrie Irving scored 25 points as the Dallas Mavericks brought the high-flying Oklahoma City Thunder down to earth with a 106-98 victory over the Western Conference leaders on Friday.

Kyrie Irving finished the win with 25 points, five rebounds, five assists and one steal while shooting 9/19 from the field and 3/8 from the three-point range in 39 mintues of playing time. The superstar guard also made NBA history by moving ahead of Basketball Hall of Famer Kobe Bryant (1,

That decision forced the Thunder to stick close to the Mavericks' role players throughout the first quarter. Once Washington scored the first five points, Irving asserted himself and drained a 3-pointer before finishing at the basket with a finger roll to give the Mavericks an early 10-0 lead.

T he short handed Dallas Mavericks (23-19) bested the short handed Oklahoma City Thunder (34-7) 106-98 in an intense matchup Friday night in Dallas. Kyrie Irving led all Mavericks