But with six defeats in their last eight games, the Mavericks were losing buoyancy, so they were grateful for Tuesday night’s return of Kyrie Irving, even as they fell to Denver, 118-99, in American Airlines Center for the second time in three nights.

The Mavericks believe that superstar Luka Doncic will be back on the court from his calf injury before the All-Star break in February.

The Dallas Mavericks were dealt a significant blow when both Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving were sidelined with multi-game injuries, leaving a massive void in their offense. Questions swirled around how the team would adapt: Could Klay Thompson turn back the clock and become a consistent scoring option?

Mavs star Kyrie Irving confirmed after Tuesday night's loss that he was diagnosed with a bulging disk in his lower back and would have to continue managing the injury.

The Dallas Mavericks are struggling without Luka Doncic. What makes matters worse, is that Doncic’s calf injury is his third calf-related setback in recent years.

The Dallas Mavericks will host the Denver Nuggets once again on Tuesday night after losing to Denver 112-101 on Sunday in Dallas. However, the Mavs were without Kyrie Irving and Luka Doncic due to injuries.