Kyrie Irving scores 17 points in return at NBA China Games

Guard concludes 19-month ACL rehab with a preseason win.

Wire Report IntelligenceUpdated 1h1 min read

Welcome BACK, Kyrie Irving 😄 https://t.co/JR9FpBtMh7 Via @NBA on X

What happened: Kyrie Irving played his first competitive game in 586 days. The Mavericks guard led Dallas to a victory over the Rockets in Game 2 of the exhibition series in Macao.

Why it matters: The performance demonstrates his readiness following the prolonged absence from competitive play. Dallas retained him through summer trade speculation to pair alongside rookie Cooper Flagg for the 2026-27 campaign.

By the numbers: He opened his scoring with an up-and-under finish to register his first points since the injury.

What to watch: Dallas continues its preseason schedule to finalize the rotation ahead of the regular season.

Sources

@NBA 2026-10-11T16:18:06.351154+00:00

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