The Dallas Mavericks lost 105-98 on Sunday in Game 2 of the NBA Finals. As a result, the Boston Celtics now hold a 2-0 series lead. Kyrie Irving has struggled so far in the series, and Dallas needs him to bounce back as soon as possible.
Irving shot just 7-for-18 from the field and 0-for-3 from deep. Luka Doncic led Dallas with 32 points while PJ Washington was second on the team with 17 points. Irving turned in a 16-point effort.
He was able to record a respectable amount of assists with six. Irving still contributed in the defeat. Nevertheless, it is clear that he did not look like himself on Sunday. The Mavericks need their star-studded duo to lead the way, but so far, only Doncic has truly stepped up in the series.
“That's the confidence I have in myself,” Irving said of whether it's just a matter of time before he begins knocking down shots at a more consistent rate once again. “A lot of shots were hitting the back rim. That can piss you off as a competitor.
“But it's all part of the game of basketball, and you got to accept the ups and downs… That I would say is the toughest challenge. “When you're in a series, you want to play extremely well, especially when you're playing in the Finals.
“A little disappointed in myself not being able to convert a lot more of my opportunities that I have in the lane. Obviously, I'm going against Jrue Holiday and Jaylen Brown… I feel like I have the upper edge on certain possessions where I just gotta convert.”
Kyrie Irving must be more aggressive in Game 3
The Mavs trail 2-0 in the series. Dallas has done an impressive job of upsetting the odds all season, so this NBA Finals certainly is not over. It goes without saying, but Game 3 is a must-win affair.
Dallas needs further production from the rest of the roster aside from Doncic and Irving as well. However, Washington scored 17 points while Daniel Gafford added 13 points and nine rebounds.
But Irving took just three 3-point attempts on Sunday. He is a reliable long-range threat, so he needs to be more aggressive in that regard.
Mavs head coach Jason Kidd addressed Irving's effort after the game.
“He had great looks,” Kidd said of Irving's performance, via Grant Afseth of Sports Illustrated. “They just didn't go down. That's just the game of basketball. Sometimes, you make them. Sometimes, you don't. You continue to keep playing. He had some good looks that just didn't go down for him tonight.”
Kyrie Irving understands how important he is to the Mavericks. Irving accepted “the majority” of the blame after the loss.
“It wasn't all on me, but I'm definitely taking the majority of it just because my teammates look to me to convert a lot of these shots and ease the burden,” Irving said. “Not only just Luka but everyone else… We've definitely made our identity on the defensive end, but now offensively, I gotta play better.”
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