Who says one outcome cannot have a bearing on the next? The Dallas Mavericks demolished the Brooklyn Nets in American Airlines Center on Sunday night, thus allowing them to stay fresh for Monday's game against the visiting Indiana Pacers. Kyrie Irving is especially benefiting from that 130-93 win. After scoring 21 points in just 29 minutes of action, the future Hall of Famer is positioned to play his first back-to-back since tearing his ACL in March of 2025, per Marc Stein.

Irving is not listed on the injury report, a possible sign that his body is responding even better than expected. The 34-year-old guard is averaging 21.4 points, 4.4 assists, 3.6 rebounds and 1.4 steals in 29.5 minutes per contest. He is shooting 47.1 percent from the field and 34.8 percent from behind the 3-point line.

Alongside franchise building block Cooper Flagg, Irving is helping the Mavericks heal from the residual effects of the Luka Doncic trade. Dallas is currently 6-4 and can secure its second three-game winning streak of the campaign by defeating Indiana. The Pacers had Sunday off, but they were making their way back from Mexico City. Perhaps both squads will be a bit below full strength on Monday.

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Irving clearly feels good enough to compete, though. It is incredibly encouraging to see him leap over this hurdle this early in the season, but that is the added benefit of taking a full season to recover from a serious knee injury. Although the Mavs suffered in the short term, they get a healthy No. 11 for 2026 and a promising big man in Morez Johnson Jr. The top-10 draft pick is listed questionable versus the Pacers due to a shin contusion.

Ideally, Dallas head coach Dusty May will have the luxury of lightening Irving's workload once again. Opening tipoff is set for 8 p.m. ET.