Kyrie Irving Sends Strong Message to Mavericks After Play-In Win

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Angelo Guinhawa | Last updated Apr 17, 2025 7:54 AM ET

Kyrie Irving may be sidelined due to injury, but he made sure that his Dallas Mavericks teammates know he's watching and supporting them.

The 33-year-old guard—who has been out since March after suffering a season-ending ACL tear—heaped praise on his teammates and celebrated after the Mavericks took down the Sacramento Kings in the NBA Play-In Tournament.

Dallas finished as the No. 10 seed in the Western Conference, so they had to visit Sacramento for the first-round of the play-in. Despite that, the Mavs didn't let the Kings' homecourt advantage slow them down one bit.

The Mavericks played an impressive game, particularly dominating the second quarter where they outscored the Kings 44-19. Dallas ultimately secured the 120-106 victory at the Golden 1 Center, with Anthony Davis' 27-point performance leading the way.

Following the win, Irving took to social media to react to the victory and send a message to his teammates.

"Yessir @dallasmavs way to handle business tonight!!" a hyped Irving wrote. "MFFL Tribe, stay together no matter what."

Yessir @dallasmavs way to handle business tonight!!
MFFL Tribe♾, stay together no matter what.
— Kyrie (@KyrieIrving) April 17, 2025

The victory was significant for the Mavericks as they continue their push toward a playoff berth.

Dallas is now one game away from officially securing a postseason spot, with their next challenge being a road matchup against Ja Morant and the Memphis Grizzlies. The winner will advance to face the top-seeded Oklahoma City Thunder in the first round of the NBA playoffs.

Sure enough, while Kyrie Irving cannot play, he's going all out into cheer for his teammates and encourage them in their postseason bid.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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