Kyrie Irving returned to the Mavericks’ lineup Sunday, scored 17 points in 22 minutes and received praise from Rockets coach Ime Udoka. Fresh off the injury, Uncle Drew scored the first basket of the game with a beautiful reverse lay.
Irving made his first game appearance in more than 19 months Sunday, starting Dallas’ preseason matchup with Houston in China. The Mavericks beat the Rockets 132-115, and Irving led Dallas with 17 points as he resumed play after a torn ACL and a later calf injury.
Udoka liked what he saw. “Well, he looked back to his normal self,” the Rockets coach said. He added that he had watched Irving work out during the summer and felt the guard had returned to his familiar form.
Kyrie Irving scores 17 points in first game back
Irving played 22 minutes and shot 6-for-13 from the field, including 2-for-6 from three-point range. He also made all three free throws, grabbed two rebounds and handed out three assists.
Dallas placed Irving on an unspecified minutes limit. Coach Dusty May said Irving would pay attention to how his body responds, while adding that the guard’s work in preseason camp had impressed him, The Athletic reports.
“If I didn’t know that he missed last year, I wouldn’t be able to tell based on how he’s worked in preseason camp,” May said.
The return also gave Irving his first opportunity to play in a game alongside Cooper Flagg, the Mavericks’ second-year forward. When Irving injured his left knee in March 2025, Flagg was still playing at Duke. Irving missed Flagg’s entire rookie season.
Irving’s recovery took longer than the Mavericks initially expected, Yahoo reports. He told reporters that he suffered a Grade 2 calf strain in December 2025, which delayed his timeline by about eight weeks. Dallas did not disclose the setback at the time. The team ruled him out for the rest of the season in February and said he had made “steady progress in rehabilitation.”
Irving says return brings a mental challenge
Irving said the calf injury forced him to give his body more time to heal. Now, after recovering from both the ACL tear and calf strain, he described the feeling of nearing a return as “a little kid at the candy store.”
The guard also spoke about the mental side of playing again. “Being back on the floor, putting my uniform back on, hearing my name be called,” Irving said, according to Kevin Gray of DLLS Sports, “it feels like it’s been a distant memory.”
Fred VanVleet, who returned Friday from an ACL injury of his own, said he watched Irving play in summer pickup games in Los Angeles. “He looks better than ever,” VanVleet said.
Irving’s first game back offered a glimpse of his place on a reshaped Dallas roster. The Mavericks now have May as head coach, Masai Ujiri as president of basketball operations, Mike Schmitz as general manager and Flagg as a new franchise cornerstone.
Dallas hopes to have Irving ready for the regular-season opener against Houston on Wednesday, Oct. 21. Sunday’s game marked his return to competition. His next step will be continuing to build toward the start of the season.
Kyrie Irving Makes Mavericks Return, Draws Notable Reaction From Ime Udoka