A lot of this stems back to the 2024 playoffs when Dallas beat the top-seeded Thunder in the second round in six games, but this is becoming one of the best rivalries in the NBA, and Kyrie Irving had an up-close view of all of it.

That decision forced the Thunder to stick close to the Mavericks' role players throughout the first quarter. Once Washington scored the first five points, Irving asserted himself and drained a 3-pointer before finishing at the basket with a finger roll to give the Mavericks an early 10-0 lead.

The Dallas Mavericks will be without star guard Kyrie Irving for the next few weeks. Irving suffered a bulging disc in his back and will miss at least one to two weeks. However, there is optimism that he will be able to return after undergoing treatment. NBA insider Shams Charania of ESPN reported the news.