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Kyrie Irving of the Boston Celtics had no excuses after being booted out by the Milwaukee Bucks in five games. For the star guard, the Bucks were simply the better team.
Per Tin Bontemps of ESPN, the Bucks played as one solid unit and outplayed them.
“It really comes down to great team basketball, who is playing better at a certain time of year … collectively, they outplayed us as a group.”
Kyrie Irving: “It really comes down to great team basketball, who is playing better at a certain time of year … collectively, they outplayed us as a group.”
— Tim Bontemps (@TimBontemps) May 9, 2019
For the series, Irving shot just 35.2 percent from the field and 22.7 percent from downtown. It was an uncharacteristic showing by one of the most potent offensive players in the league. In Game 2, Irving scored a mere nine points which raised and was a nonfactor overall.
The 27-year-old himself commended the Bucks' defense. Based on his observation, Mike Budenholzer sent bodies to defend him and prevented him from driving to the hoop. Whenever he found way out, a platoon of more defenders were there to clog the paint and contest his layup.
His best game came in Game 3 — a 29-point performance despite a loss. But a look at his shooting percentage revealed that not a single point came easy. He was just 36.4 percent from the field and 2-of-8 from behind the 3-point line.
Indeed, the Bucks put up a masterful performance against the Celtics. Irving showed good sportsmanship by admitting defeat. But they definitely have to do better the next time around.
