Kyrie Irving and the Mavs will welcome the Clippers in a potential eliminator for the LA side on Friday after taking a 3-2 lead in the series. Kyrie Irving continued his stellar form in the series, but this time he was more on the defensive rather than taking ankles on the offensive.
His match-up against James Harden proved costly for the latter as the Beard only managed to score 7 points on Wednesday night. Most of the credit for keeping Harden quiet goes to Kyrie Irving, who explained his defensive shift with some history lessons. When asked about his defensive game, Irving said, “Defense is a part of the game of basketball. If you study the game enough, you understand that some of the greatest players in history have done it on both ends of the floor. I’m just trying to get my name up with those guys.”
Against the Clippers, Irving only managed to get 14 points, which was a sharp decline from his 40-point performance in game 4. His shooting was also underwhelming, with only 1 out of 7 3-point success and 6-14 field-goal conversions. Irving’s explanation clearly shows that his sole focus was on neutralizing the opponent’s best creative threat, which he did magnificently in the 123-93 win.
The 32-year-old further added that there is firepower in the team to see them through even if he doesn’t contribute significantly. His tandem with Luka Doncic has been one of the best in the league this season and Irving has nothing but praise for his resilient partner in crime.
Kyrie Irving Praises Resilient Luka Doncic
Luka Doncic turned up for the Mavs once again in game 5 against the Clippers, and it has been a recurring theme this season. Doncic, despite his knee issue and illness, soldiered on and dropped a 35-point game to put the Mavs in the driver’s seat.
Talking about Doncic, Irving said, “I always speak on his resilience. He’s not feeling a hundred percent, but he’s still going to go out there and play.” He further added that he, as a teammate, enjoys it and lauded the Slovenian for emptying his clips.
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Along with the 35 points, Doncic dished out 10 assists and 7 rebounds. His 14 out of 26 attempts from the field also capped off a superb night of shooting for the 25-year-old.
Kyrie Irving and Luka Doncic will be eager to finish off the job at American Airlines Center and set a date with the OKC Thunder in round 2 of the playoffs.
