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Losing Game 4 of the Western Conference Finals to the Minnesota Timberwolves likely isn't the end of the world for the Dallas Mavericks. The odds are still drastically in their favor to advance to the NBA Finals, considering they had a 3-0 series lead before losing on Tuesday night, as no team in NBA history has ever managed to comeback from that deficit. The Game 4 loss was significant on a different front, though, because it was the first time Kyrie Irving lost a closeout game in his career.
The Mavericks' guard was a perfect 14-0 in closeout games over his 13-year career entering Game 4 against the Timberwolves, but a poor performance from Irving, who shot just 6/18 from the floor, led to Minnesota stealing a game from Dallas, and his streak coming to an end.
The good news is that Irving will have a chance to redeem himself in Game 5 as he looks to get back to the NBA Finals for the first time since his Cleveland Cavaliers days. His closeout game record that started in 2015 will never again be unblemished again, though. Nonetheless, the record was very impressive, so we decided to go back and look at each of Kyrie Irving's 14 wins in closeout games. Irving is at his best when the lights are the brightest, and his performances in each of these 14 games proves just that.
2015 first round, Game 4: Cleveland Cavaliers 101, Boston Celtics 93
Kyrie Irving was drafted first overall in the 2011 NBA Draft, and he has gone on to have a Hall of Fame caliber career where he is widely regarded as one of the best finishers at the rim ever, and one of the best ball handlers in NBA history. He hasn't proven that he can win on his own, though, as he didn't make the playoffs until LeBron James returned to the Cavaliers to team up with him.
In their first playoff series together, the Cavaliers swept the Boston Celtics, and Irving showed that he can do some things that most guards can't do when he secured a double-double with 24 points and 11 rebounds in Game 4 to send the C's home for the offseason.
2015 conference semis, Game 6: Cleveland Cavaliers 94, Chicago Bulls 73
After beating the Celtics, Irving helped the Cavaliers push past the Chicago Bulls in six games in their second-round series. However, he didn't have as big of an impact on the team winning Game 6 to advance to the conference finals. Irving suffered a knee injury that limited him to just over 12 minutes of action and only six points. Luckily, Matthew Dellavedova picked up the slack in wake of Irving's injury and helped extend Irving's closeout game streak just as it was getting started.
2015 Eastern Conference Finals, Game 4: Cleveland Cavaliers 118, Atlanta Hawks 88
In Irving's first playoff run, the Cavs made it all the way to the NBA Finals, and in the Eastern Conference Finals, they had to play two games without Irving against the Atlanta Hawks, as he was recovering from the injury he suffered in the previous round. However, he managed to return in time to close the Hawks out in Game 4. While he was working his way back to game shape, Irving put up 16 points, four rebounds, and five assists en route to advancing to the NBA Finals for the first time in his career.
2016 first round, Game 4: Cleveland Cavaliers 100, Detroit Pistons 98
Irving got hurt in Game 1 of the 2015 NBA Finals and missed the rest of the series which robbed fans of Cleveland from seeing the team compete at full health. The team returned to health for their next playoff run, though. With 31 points in Game 4 of their 2016 first-round series, Irving made quick and easy work of the Detroit Pistons, as the Cavaliers swept them out of the playoffs. At the time, the 31 points were a playoff career high for the Duke product.
2016 conference semis, Game 4: Cleveland Cavaliers 100, Atlanta Hawks 99
Kyrie Irving's closeout streak almost ended in the 2016 conference semis, as the Hawks lost by only one point in their elimination game against Cleveland. Dennis Schroder had a chance to give the Hawks the lead with a couple of seconds left in the game, but he fell and the Cavaliers were able to force a last second jump ball that allowed the team to walk away victorious. The second round win was Cleveland's second straight sweep in the 2016 playoffs.
2016 Eastern Conference Finals, Game 6: Cleveland Cavaliers 113, Toronto Raptors 87
After back-to-back sweeps to open the 2016 NBA Playoffs, the Toronto Raptors weren't such an easy foe, and Irving didn't get his closeout game until Game 6. Irving did what he does best in closeout games, though, and helped the Cavs get back to the NBA Finals with a dominant outing that saw him drop 30 points and dish out nine assists.
2016 NBA Finals, Game 7: Cleveland Cavaliers 93, Golden State Warriors 89
Cleveland wasn't given a chance to close out the team that beat them in the Finals the year prior until Game 7 of this series. In one of the most memorable NBA Finals series ever, Irving and the Cavaliers came out victorious and gave the franchise their first ever championship, while also delivering the city of Cleveland their first major sports title since 1964.
Cleveland had to overcome a 3-1 deficit in the series, which meant they became the first team to ever do so in the NBA Finals. Irving had to overcome all odds to win his first championship and extend his closeout game streak. In addition to coming back from a 3-1 series deficit, the Cavaliers were up against a Warriors team that set the league record with 73 wins in the regular season. Irving had a brilliant series, and he capped it off with 26 points and a memorable three-pointer over Stephen Curry with 53 seconds left that broke the late-game tie.
2017 first round, Game 4: Cleveland Cavaliers 106, Indiana Pacers 102
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In Game 4 of their 2017 first-round series, the Indiana Pacers nearly forced the game into overtime. It wasn't meant to be, though, and Irving's 26 points extended his closeout game streak to eight games.
2017 conference semis, Game 4: Cleveland Cavaliers 109, Toronto Raptors 102
Kyrie Irving and LeBron James had tons of postseason success together, especially in the early rounds. They swept their first and second-round matchups for the second straight season after easily dispatching the Raptors again. Irving had 27 points and nine assists in this one to lead Cleveland back to the ECF.
2017 Eastern Conference Finals, Game 5: Cleveland Cavaliers 135, Boston Celtics 102
After scoring a playoff career-high (that still stands) 42 points in Game 4, Irving scored 24 points and closed out Boston in Game 5. This would prove to be Irving's last postseason series win with the Cavs, as Cleveland lost in five games in the NBA Finals. And then, in the ensuing offseason, Irving would request a trade that would see him land with these same Celtics.
2019 first round, Game 4: Boston Celtics 110, Indiana Pacers 106
Irving missed the C's 2018 postseason run due to injury, but he was expected to be the piece that got Boston over the hump and out of the Eastern Conference Finals after they had made it there in 2017 and 2018. It appeared that Irving was, in fact, that missing piece, as he helped Boston sweep their first-round opponent in the Pacers.
There ended up not being enough balls on the court to go around for the Celtics, as a stacked team struggled with chemistry and lost in the next round, but Irving's closeout streak and playoff success against the Pacers did continue in the first round.
2021 first round, Game 5: Brooklyn Nets 123, Boston Celtics 109
After losing in the second round of the 2019 NBA playoffs, Irving signed as a free agent with the Brooklyn Nets, where he would team up with Kevin Durant. Irving once again suffered a season-ending injury that forced him to miss the playoffs in 2020, but he was healthy for their 2021 postseason run. Irving would take on his former team in the first round, and he went on to score 39 points in a Game 4 win before getting his revenge and knocking off the Celtics in a Game 5 performance where he scored 25 points.
2024 first round, Game 6: Dallas Mavericks 117, Los Angeles Clippers 101
With the Mavericks' (Kyrie Irving's fourth NBA team) first-round win over the Clippers, Irving officially secured a closeout win with every team he's played for. Game 6 against the Clippers was one of Irving's best individual performances in closeout games, as he had 30 points, six rebounds, and four assists.
2024 conference semis, Game 6: Dallas Mavericks 117, Oklahoma City Thunder 116
With a win over the Thunder in Game 6 of the 2024 conference semifinals, Kyrie Irving extended his perfect closeout game record to 14-0 and simultaneously found the most postseason success he has had since his days in Cleveland. The Mavericks would go on to win their first three games in the Eastern Conference Finals against the Timberwolves before Irving finally lost a closeout game in Game 4. Because of his prior success in closeout games, Irving still holds the record for the best winning percentage in such games in NBA history, even after Dallas' recent loss to the Timberwolves.
