Kyrie Irving led the Dallas Mavericks to a 107-103 victory over the Sacramento Kings on Friday night. Dallas has now won six games in a row and they are climbing the standings in the Western Conference.
Irving finished Friday's game with 30 points. Meanwhile, Luka Doncic, who is earning serious NBA MVP consideration, recorded 26 points, 12 assists, and nine rebounds. Rookie Dereck Lively II added 12 points and nine rebounds in the victory.
Individual performances are one thing, but this Mavs team is coming together as a unit right now. Kyrie and Luka have clearly learned how to play alongside one another. They are also utilizing their teammates in the best possible way. Dallas is playing winning basketball right now, and Kyrie Irving revealed the secret to that success following Friday's win.
âIt's just, when you fail, you go through adversity, you go through a lot of tough times and you get to know people on and off the court,â Irving said, via the Mavericks on X (formerly Twitter). âAnd then you come out here and you're playing against a tough team. You go back to those moments where you can look your brother in the eye and say, âI got your back.'
âWe just want to continue to play hard for one another. We got depth, we got to use that to our advantage. And we don't see anybody stressing each other out, you know. I think possessions come and go, we're just ready to move on to the next play. So shoutout to my teammates, man, they're doing a good job of listening and following the coaching staff.â
Kyrie Irving's leadership is crucial for Mavericks
Luka Doncic is arguably the best player in the NBA. Head coach Jason Kidd was a superstar player who knows what it takes to win. Veteran Markieff Morris is respected among his teammates.
However, good teams need a veteran star on the floor with leadership qualities, and that is exactly who Kyrie Irving is. He's been through adversity during his career, experiencing highs and lows.
When he began his career with the Cleveland Cavaliers, he was their best player but the Cavs were inconsistent. He later learned how to co-exist with other stars when LeBron James and Kevin Love joined the team. Cleveland ended up winning a championship as a result.
Things didn't always go to plan, though. Irving wanted to win with the Boston Celtics and Brooklyn Nets later in his career but that ultimately did not happen. And in a way, those stints in Boston and Brooklyn have probably prepared Kyrie to lead at an even higher level.
The Mavericks battled injuries early in the 2023-24 season. They endured some difficult times overall, and many people around the NBA questioned if they would realistically compete this year.
Kyrie Irving remained confident, though. He knew Dallas had the potential to succeed. Kyrie has been around many great players, and he's had nothing but positive things to say about his co-star Luka Doncic.
And as Irving mentioned in his postgame interview, Dallas features depth and they are using that to their advantage. Irving further explained the Mavs' chemistry and how it impacted Friday's victory over the Kings.
âIn a good old fashioned competitive game, that's what you call walking your opponent down,â Irving said. âWe got to the free throw line, we made timely stops⊠We trusted, the ball was swinging. It found Dante (Exum) about three straight possessions or four straight possessions. And we came to the bench and we just wanted to encourage him and I think that that did the trick tonight.
âYou know, we knew another shot was coming to him and we just trust him to get us over that hump and he did that tonight. But it's a total team effort, man.â
Kyrie Irving is confident in his teammates. It's safe to say Exum rewarded that confidence against the Kings.
DANTE EXUM HITS A MASSIVE THREE đŻ
Dallas leads 106-103 with 27.5 seconds remaining! pic.twitter.com/uHQvpRctAQ
â ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) March 30, 2024
Follow Us
Subscribe