Kyrie Irving made a notable return to the NBA on Sunday, nearly 20 months after suffering a torn anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in his left knee. Playing for the Dallas Mavericks, Irving scored 17 points in a 132-115 preseason victory over the Houston Rockets in Macao, China. He opened the game with a reverse layup on the first possession, setting the tone for his performance. The nine-time All-Star logged just under 22 minutes, shooting six for 13 from the field, along with recording three assists and two rebounds.

This marked Irving’s first game action since his injury on March 3, 2025. Prior to the injury, he was averaging 24.7 points per game in the 2024-25 season. Mavericks head coach Dusty May praised Irving’s return, highlighting both his physical and mental preparedness. “It was just impressive,” May said in the postgame news conference. “I didn’t expect him to play this well after being off so long.” Irving split his playing time across the first two quarters and briefly appeared in the third before sitting out the remainder of the game.

The Mavericks, who reached the NBA Finals in 2024 but missed the playoffs in the subsequent two seasons, view Irving’s return as an important step toward improving their roster’s competitiveness.

In separate NBA news, Sacramento Kings center Maxime Raynaud received positive updates regarding a recent knee injury. After suffering a patellar subluxation during a collision with Golden State Warriors’ Stephen Curry in a preseason game, Raynaud underwent MRI imaging that indicated the injury was not as severe as initially feared. The second-year player is scheduled for a follow-up evaluation in approximately two weeks.

Additionally, Golden State Warriors guard Brandin Podziemski agreed to a five-year rookie-scale contract extension reportedly worth $110 million, extending his stay with the team through the 2031-32 season. The agreement reflects the Warriors’ commitment to retaining key young talent as they build toward future success.