Kyrie Irving drops 17 in first game in 586 days as Mavericks top Rockets in Macau
Kyrie Irving scored 17 points in his first game in 586 days as the Dallas Mavericks beat the Houston Rockets 132-115 in preseason play Sunday in Macau.
The nine-time All-Star started for Dallas and led the team in scoring at the Venetian Arena. It was his first game action since tearing the anterior cruciate ligament, a key stabilizing ligament in the knee, in his left knee on 3 March 2025, according to The Guardian.
He wasted no time. Cooper Flagg fed Irving from the right wing on the opening possession, and Irving finished with a reverse layup. He shot 6-for-13 in just under 22 minutes, adding three assists and two rebounds.
The layup ended a layoff of 586 days, as noted by Bleacher Report. Irving missed all of last season. He was averaging 24.7 points for Dallas when he went down late in the 2024-25 season.
His road back included another hurdle. Irving dealt with a previously undisclosed calf strain during his recovery from the knee injury, Yahoo Sports reported ahead of the trip.
Preseason games do not count in the standings. They are tune-ups, a chance to test lineups and bring players back slowly. Dallas used this one to get its veteran guard moving again.
The Mavericks need him. They reached the NBA Finals in 2024, then missed the last two postseasons.
What makes this stand out is the simplicity of it. No minutes restriction drama, no tentative debut. A first-play basket, a team high in points, and a comfortable win. For fans, this means the long wait is over, and Dallas has its playmaker back on the floor.
