Mavericks' Coach Defends Irving's Game Time

The Dallas Mavericks faced the Milwaukee Bucks. Jason Kidd, the coach, had some strong words to say. He wanted to clear up some rumors. Kyrie Irving, a key player, had a serious knee injury. It happened during a game against the Sacramento Kings. Irving tried to get past two defenders. His right foot stepped on Jonas Valanciunas' foot. This caused his left knee to bend in a weird way. Kidd called it a "freak accident. " He said it wasn't because Irving played too many minutes. Irving played a lot of minutes. From Christmas to March 2, he averaged 38. 2 minutes per game. This was the third highest in the league. After the trade deadline, he played even more. The Mavericks had a lot of injuries. Luka Doncic was out with a calf injury. Anthony Davis, who they got for Doncic, got hurt in his first game. Dereck Lively II, Daniel Gafford, and Caleb Martin were all out too. This left the Mavericks with only eight players for their game against the Bucks. Kidd said Irving didn't complain about the minutes. He said Irving loved to play. He said fans didn't complain either. They pay to see him play. Kidd thought the media was blowing things out of proportion. He said people want likes and hearts on social media. He said the truth wasn't being told. Kidd also talked about a double standard. He said people want stars to play a lot. But then they complain when they do. The league has a new rule. Players have to play 65 games to be eligible for big awards. Kidd said it's okay for stars to play a lot. He said Kai, another star, was playing great. He said the media was taking things the wrong way. The Mavericks were in 10th place in the Western Conference. They were three games ahead of the Phoenix Suns. But they had a lot of injuries. It would be tough for them to stay in the top 10.