D allas Mavericks star Kyrie Irving has missed the last five games due to a lumbar back strain. The eight-time NBA All-Star has appeared in 30 games this season, averaging 24.3 po

Mavericks guard Kyrie Irving's status for Tuesday's clash against the Denver Nuggets looks promising as Dallas aim to bounce back.

The Dallas Mavericks are playing a second straight game against the Denver Nuggets on Tuesday night after falling 112-101 at home on Sunday. They could be getting a major boost to the lineup for this game, though, as Kyrie Irving is nearing a return.

Kyrie Irving and Dereck Lively II received injury updates for the Mavericks' game on Monday against the Hornets.

Irving was absent for the most recent Mavericks game, also against the Nuggets, which the Denver side won 112-101. In that tie, he was hugely missed, with the output for his side clearly suffering from his absence: Dallas are 2-3 across their last five games in the NBA without Irving and 3-6 overall without him.

The Denver Nuggets defeated the Dallas Mavericks on Sunday and Tuesday, sweeping the two-game mini series with their Western Conference rivals. Denver has now w

The Mavericks host the Nuggets at 9:00 p.m. ET, looking to bounce back after Sunday’s loss to Denver. Kyrie Irving (back) is questionable but could return.

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.