Nightly Dunk: NBA updates & highlights from Jan. 14

Kyrie Irving is set to make his highly-anticipated return to the court tonight after being sidelined since January 1st with a back injury. The Dallas Mavericks struggled without their star guard, going 2-3 during his absence. With Irving back in action, the team is hoping for a much-needed boost as they take on the Denver Nuggets at 9:30 ET. The game will be broadcasted on TNT, Tru TV, and MAX. Fans are eager to see Irving back in action and ready to lead his team to victory.

Tuesday’s slate of games

Thunder vs. 76ers (

Live on NBA League Pass

)

Cavaliers vs. Pacers (

Live on TNT, Tru TV, and MAX

)

Suns vs. Hawks (

7:30 ET, Live on NBA League Pass

)

Kings vs. Bucks (

8 ET, Live on NBA League Pass

)

Pelicans vs. Bulls (

8 ET, Live on NBA League Pass

)

Nuggets vs. Mavericks (

9:30 ET, Live on TNT, Tru TV, and MAX

)

Nets vs. Trail Blazers (

10 ET, Live on NBA League Pass

)

⛹‍♂️Ready to ball⛹‍♂️

Philadelphia trio sits

Paul George (ankle), Joel Embiid (foot), and Tyrese Maxey (hand) have all been ruled out for tonight’s game.

The 76ers will start Reggie Jackson, Ricky Council IV, Eric Gordon, Kelly Oubre Jr., and Guerschon Yabusele against the 32-6 Thunder.

3️⃣Stories

The Pacers ended the Cavaliers’ 12-game win streak Sunday evening with a dominant second-half performance. The result was a 108-93 victory, and Indiana became the first team this season to hold Cleveland under 100 points. The most impressive factor might be that they did it without Tyrese Haliburton who departed early due to hamstring tightness. The Pacers’ star point guard is considered doubtful tonight, so Indiana will likely need another repeated team effort to defeat Cleveland again and push their win streak to seven games. 

Speaking of streaks, the Kings will enter Milwaukee tonight riding high with seven straight wins and have gotten back over .500 with a 20-19 record. A big part of their recent surge has been improved defensive play, something they’ll likely need to keep on display as they work to contain the Bucks’ star duo, Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard. 

The Nuggets and Mavericks will square off again after Denver defeated Dallas 112-101 on Sunday. This matchup could feature the return of Kyrie Irving, who hasn’t played since Jan.1 due to a back injury. He is currently listed as questionable, and getting the star guard back would be a major boon for the Mavericks, who are 2-3 since Irving has been absent.