With just under eight minutes remaining in the second quarter, the Dallas Mavericks trailed the Houston Rockets by 22 points. The energy was off, and Dallas’ defense was not playing as well as they have recently.
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Dallas looked bad to start the game, and the score reflected that. The Mavs hadn’t faced this much adversity in over a month, but their ability to battle back and beat the Rockets 147-136 shows the type of team they are.
Dallas never gave up, and the performance of Kyrie Irving down the stretch was unbelievable to watch.
Irving finished with 48 points, seven rebounds, and two assists while shooting 15-25 from the field, 3-8 from downtown, and 13-15 from the free-throw line. He played with poise during the entire game, but his performance in the clutch is what separates him from the rest.
Irving scored 25 points in the fourth quarter and overtime combined, and his shotmaking ability willed this team to a win. Dante Exum and P.J. Washington also made timely shots at the perfect time, but Irving took over this game like it was no big deal.
Whether he was hitting pull-up threes, getting to the bucket and drawing contact, or finishing with a crazy reverse layup after breaking down the defense, Irving showed that he is one of the best clutch players in the NBA, and no one should want to play Dallas in the playoffs.
Luka Doncic also dominated this game as he finished with 37 points, nine rebounds, and 12 assists, and his ability to play alongside Irving is what makes this Mavs team so dangerous in the playoffs. Both players can take over the game at any time, and they are always genuinely happy to see the other succeed.
Irving and Doncic’s connection is undoubtedly one of the best in the league when it comes to duos, and today they showed they can win tough games even when the odds are stacked against them. Irving continues to show that he is an outstanding leader, along with Doncic, and they have the potential to make a deep playoff run this season.
Irving and Doncic’s next game is on Tuesday night against the Charlotte Hornets.
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