Now THIS is the Kyrie Irving that the Dallas Mavericks faithful signed up to see! After the disappointing end to last season, more than a few fans likely soured on the former NBA champion. With the team struggling and the Irving trade seemingly not working out, some even called for Dallas to cut bait with the star.
Well, now, Irving is proving why the front office wanted to acquire him. The Los Angeles Clippers have long been the Mavericks' boon in the postseason. With a chance to close out the Clippers at home, Irving balled out and then some. He dropped 30 points, six assists, and four rebounds to help lead Dallas to the second round.
Irving was incredible all night long for the Mavericks. He was his usual creative self, carving out the Clippers defense with his fancy dribbling and his shot-making abilities. Kyrie's timely buckets staved off any potential Los Angeles comeback. After the game, former NBA star Jamal Crawford praised the Mavs star on X.
“I don’t care how some try and cut it- but Kyrie Irving is one of the best players to EVER touch a basketball..”
Irving has been excellent all series long for the Mavericks. Save for a dud in Game 5, he's scored at least 20 points in every single game. In Game 4, he dropped 40 points in a losing effort. Now, he and Luka Doncic joined forced to finally put away the pesky Clippers for good.
Luka-Kyrie connection finally paying off
There were initially a lot of concerns about how Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving would fit together when the latter first joined the team. Both players were almost the same archetype: ball-dominant shot creators that worked best with the ball on their hands. Many felt like it was a bad idea to combine these two together.
Of course, there were also concerns about Irving's attitude. Over the last few years, Irving earned a bit of a reputation as a locker room cancer. We can never be too sure of what truly goes on in a locker room, but those rumors certainly took a toll on Kyrie's image in the league. Completely missing the playoffs right after the trade only made Irving (and the Mavericks' decision to trade for him) look worse.
After a full offseason together, though, the Mavericks have finally figured out how to make the two stars work together. More off-ball movement from both Irving and Doncic have helped them unlock their full potential. In addition, Doncic has made a much better effort on defense, using his size and IQ to cut off attacks.
The result is the Mavericks earning the fifth seed in a highly competitive Western Conference. Both Doncic and Irving shone brightly for Dallas in the series, with Luka finally conquering his demons and eliminating the Clippers. All the while, Irving has shown himself to be a great locker room leader for a relatively young Dallas team.
Next up on the Mavericks' plate is another tough matchup. The Oklahoma City Thunder are waiting for Dallas on the other side, and they are fresh off of a sweep of the New Orleans Pelicans. How will Irving, Doncic, and the rest of the team game plan against OKC's ferocious defense?
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