Great news for basketball.
Kyrie Irving has returned to the courts after 586 days on the sidelines.
The veteran point guard has come back to action following a ACL tear last March 2025.
Since then, surgery and a tremendous amount of rehabilitation and gym work.
In the Mavericks’ second exhibition game in Macau, he stood out with 17 points and 3 assists in just 22 minutes of playing time.
The Mavericks defeated Udoka’s squad by 132-115 in a game marked by the significant absences of Durant, VanVleet, and Steven Adams.
For their part, Dusty May’s team came out strong. Irving started as the starting point guard alongside Cooper Flagg, Zaccharie Risacher, P.J. Washington, and Daniel Gafford at center.
ISO KYRIE IRVING!
He’s got a team-high 14 points in his return to NBA action 🫡 https://t.co/OSLVuo4UWN
— NBA (@NBA) October 11, 2026
Also noteworthy was Marcus Smart’s debut with the Rockets, starting in place of the veteran VanVleet.
In 24 minutes he posted 20 points, 5 rebounds and 4 assists with a 4/9 showing from three.
Other Highlights
- Mavericks: Risacher (16 points), Cooper Flagg (14 points and 7 assists) and Sergio de Larrea (9 points, 7 rebounds and 4 assists).
- Rockets: Reed Sheppard (17 points), Amen Thompson (14 points, 7 rebounds and 6 assists) and Jabari Smith Jr. (14 points and 9 rebounds)
