2024 NBA Finals: Kyrie Irving remains the focus as the Mavs try to avoid a 3-0 hole

DALLAS — The NBA Finals haven’t gone according to plan for Kyrie Irving, Luka Dončić’s running mate who’s yet to put his stamp on this series.

He’s seeing plenty of bodies, and they’re all equipped to defend him or at least make things tough. So far, they’re winning the battle — Irving hasn’t made a 3-pointer despite getting some good looks and is shooting just 35.1% through the first two games.

What’s more, he hasn’t gotten to the line much and defensively the Celtics are putting him in spots where Irving has to be on the back line, meaning he’s more susceptible to being in foul trouble.

In summation, if he doesn’t turn it around and quickly, the Dallas Mavericks will be facing elimination Friday night. Irving said he reached out to Dončić to take accountability for not playing well, saying he has to play better.

Both Irving and Boston’s Jayson Tatum haven’t been themselves offensively, but Boston has a much more balanced, experienced roster. Tatum can afford to have bad shooting games, but he’s also facilitating on offense and being a point man for ball movement when the Celtics are getting good shots. He’s also defending well and rebounding.

Dallas guard Kyrie Irving (11) needs to turn the corner if the Mavs want to make the NBA Finals a real series. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)

Irving has to score in this case, and the Celtics have made it a priority to stop him.

“First thing of that is just accepting that I haven’t played well or up to my standards, as well as I would have liked,” Irving said Tuesday following Mavericks practice. “Being back in Boston, there’s such a level of desire that I have inside of me to play well. Wanted to be there for my teammates. As a competitor, it’s frustrating.”

Perhaps he was trying a little too hard to block out the chants and the boos from the TD Garden crowd every time he touched the ball, in addition to wanting to perform at his peak.

“I think he’s missed some easy shots. I expect him obviously to be even more aggressive and to fight to get those shots,” Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla said. “The most important thing is just being…

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Author : Yahoo Sports

Publish date : 2024-06-11 23:15:06

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