On January 7th, Beijing time, the NBA regular season continues. In the just-concluded Western focus battle, the Grizzlies defeated the Mavericks 119-104 at home, giving their opponents a five-game losing streak. After the game, the Western standings changed, with the Grizzlies successfully catching up with the Rockets to tie for second place in the West, while the Mavericks' five-game losing streak dropped them to sixth in the West, with the same record as the seventh-place Clippers.
In terms of data, both sides faced off with incomplete lineups in this game. The Grizzlies rested their two core players, Morant and Bane, while the Mavericks' star players Irving and Doncic also did not play. However, the difference is that the Grizzlies only rested their double-core lineup, while the Mavericks suffered a devastating injury blow.
Goodbye NBA! Irving teams up with Doncic to withdraw from the game, and the championship pattern in the West is once again in doubt.
According to NBA reporter Shams, Irving felt unwell a few hours before the game against the Cavaliers and was diagnosed with a herniated disc before the game against the Grizzlies, expected to miss 1-2 weeks. Moreover, according to expert Stotts, herniated disc problems are very tricky and usually require a long period of rest. Without surgical treatment, the average recovery cycle is close to one month, about 12 games.
In addition, the other star player of the Mavericks, Doncic, is also in the same situation. He suffered a calf strain in the previous game against the Timberwolves and is still unable to walk independently or bear his body weight to this day, with the team setting a deadline of re-evaluation after one month.
This means that the Mavericks, who had already reached the top tier of Western championship contenders, will lose two key players at the same time. However, considering that the schedule is not yet halfway through, it's not necessarily a bad thing for Irving and Doncic to temporarily withdraw from the game at this critical moment to receive rehabilitation treatment. This allows their bodies to have sufficient rest in order to maintain high-efficiency competitive performance in subsequent games.
It is worth mentioning that in the game against the Grizzlies, the team's starting center Gafford also unexpectedly sprained his ankle. After the game, head coach Kidd said he would probably be out for some time. In just half a month, the team has lost three key players one after another. Originally, it was thought that recruiting Thompson during the offseason to form a three-giant lineup could continue to challenge for the championship, but now it seems that the championship pattern in the West may be in doubt again. Whether the Mavericks can withstand the impact of teams like the Timberwolves and Clippers in the later stages and hold onto their playoff spot is a question.