Mavericks star Kyrie Irving has surgery for torn ACL in his left knee

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DALLAS (AP) — Dallas Mavericks star Kyrie Irving had surgery on the torn ACL in his left knee, starting a process of recovery that's likely to continue into next season.

The team said Wednesday night further medical updates on Irving would be provided “as appropriate.”

Irving was injured in the first quarter of a 122-98 loss to the Sacramento Kings on March 3. It was the biggest in a string of injuries that decimated the Dallas roster.

The 33-year-old Irving is going into the final year of his contract and has a player option.

The Mavericks had already lost fellow All-Star Anthony Davis to a groin injury when Irving went down. Dallas sent superstar Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers for Davis in early February, a seismic trade that angered the Dallas fan base.

The chorus of critics grew after Davis' injury in his Dallas debut on Feb. 8. The Mavs played nine games without Irving and Davis before Davis returned in a 120-101 victory at Brooklyn on Monday.

Dallas, the defending Western Conference champion, is in a tight three-team race for ninth and 10th in the West, the final two spots in the play-in tournament.

The Mavs are at Orlando on Thursday night, with Davis listed as questionable after skipping the second night of a back-to-back in a 128-113 loss to the New York Knicks on Tuesday.

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