Mavericks vs. Pacers Injury Report: Rookie Morez Johnson Jr. Is a Surprise Questionable, but Irving and Aldama Are Off the Report Entirely
The question hanging over tonight's back-to-back got its answer Monday — Kyrie Irving is clear to play both nights — and a new one replaced it: Johnson's left shin, a day after his 9 rebounds in 19 minutes against Brooklyn.
The Mavericks' Monday injury report answered the weekend's big question and asked a smaller one. Kyrie Irving is not on it. After sitting the second night of Dallas's only other back-to-back this season, Irving — who scored 21 in Sunday's 130-93 rout of Brooklyn and sat the entire fourth quarter of the blowout — is on track to take the court for the second leg tonight against Indiana (7 p.m. CT, American Airlines Center, KFAA and MavsTV), averaging 21.4 points and 4.4 assists in 29.5 minutes a game. Santi Aldama is off the report too, set for his third game in four nights after making his Mavericks debut Friday in his return from March knee surgery.
The surprise is at the other end of the rotation. Rookie Morez Johnson Jr. — not on Sunday's report at all — is questionable with a left shin/tibia contusion. The timing stings: Johnson played 19 minutes against Brooklyn (4 points, 9 rebounds) a night after the best game of his young career, 13 points and a career-high 17 rebounds against Utah on Friday, in his first 18-plus-minute outing of the season. If he is ruled out, Naji Marshall and Aldama are the minutes candidates, per the published report analysis. Three Mavericks remain out: Tarik Biberović (right heel bursitis, his 11th straight missed game), Sergio De Larrea (right knee sprain, seventh straight) and Dereck Lively II (right foot surgery, eleventh straight; out since Nov. 21, 2025). Caleb Martin is available — listed now with a right thumb splint rather than the sprain he has carried since his Oct. 28 debut — and has started the last two games, a choice coach Dusty May tied directly to Irving's uncertain nights: Martin, May said, "gives us the best chance to be elite defensively."
Indiana arrives short-handed in its own right. The Pacers (3-7), beaten 114-102 by Denver in Mexico City on Saturday, have ruled out Tyrese Haliburton (left hamstring strain), Johnny Furphy (right ACL repair) and Ben Sheppard (left meniscus surgery), with T.J. McConnell questionable (right hamstring strain) after making his season debut Saturday. The season's first meeting, Oct. 23 in Indianapolis, was a 121-105 Dallas win behind 24 from Irving — the same Irving whose availability defined every preview of tonight until Monday's report cleared him. The desk's game file follows within 45 minutes of the final horn, on the standing game-night cadence.
