By Johnny Askounis/ info@eurohoops.net
Replacing his new teammate, Anthony Davis, Kyrie Irving was selected by NBA Commissioner Adam Silver for the 2025 All-Star Game.
The 31-year-old big was injured in his debut with the Dallas Mavericks and ruled out for the annual meeting of the best players of the league. From there, 32-year-old Irving got his ninth nod and placed in Team Shaq.
It has certainly been a rough stretch for the Mavs since the blockbuster trade sent Slovenian sensation Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers. Losing to the Sacramento Kings, 129-128, in the American Airlines Center on Monday did not help.
With two seconds remaining in overtime, DeMar DeRozan highlighted a 42-point display, a new personal best for the 2024-25 Regular Season, with a go-ahead bucket, pushing the Kings to 27-26 and reducing the Mavericks to 28-26.
Lasting just under 42 minutes and connecting 7/10 two-pointers, Lithuanian Domantas Sabonis threw in a 16-point, 15-rebound double-double alongside eight assists. Lithuanian reserve big Jonas Valanciunas tallied 13 points and eight rebounds over 17 minutes.
Following a tight affair with 28 lead changes, the head coach of the Mavericks, Jason Kidd, skipped the postgame press conference. His already depleted squad additionally lost Daniel Gafford due to a sprained right knee after a collision with Malik Monk in the second quarter.
Missing Greek Giannis Antetokounmpo (left calf strain), the Milwaukee Bucks fell, 125-111, to the Golden State Warriors in Fiserv Forum. European participation was limited to Dutch Quinten Post packing 13 points, four rebounds, and one assist for the team coached by Steve Kerr.