The star-studded showdown between the Golden State Warriors and Boston Celtics on Saturday night certainly fit the billing. Not only were fans treated to a showdown between two of the top teams in each conference, but they also got to witness a hot matchup between their best point guards in Stephen Curry and Kyrie Irving.
While the Warriors often rely on a dynamic scoring attack, Irving is tasked with shouldering the load on offense for the Celtics. Fortunately, it is a role that he is all too familiar with.
According to Jared Weiss of The Celtics Wire, Warriors point guard Shaun Livingston feels Irving has long been the catalyst of his team ever since he was still with the Cleveland Cavaliers:
“It's a show every time they play. Obviously (Irving) was the catalyst the last three years on that other team. He's one of the best there is.”
Livingston's comments may seem a bit far-fetched considering forward LeBron James is often referred to as the ultimate catalyst. He largely maintained that role throughout the game until Irving's time came in the fourth quarter.
It was there that “Uncle Drew” established himself as the league's premier clutch player. Which is why Livingston was pleased that the Warriors were able to come up with some key stops down the stretch.
“In order to win championships, that's what you gotta do. You gotta get stops. Boston's one of the best teams in the league and I think they're a good matchup for us. I think they bring out the best in us honestly.”
Either way, it was clear that Irving was ready to take on a much larger role as the team's facilitator while he was still in Cleveland. However, it became evident that the dream scenario of the Cavs was never going to happen as long as Irving shared the court with James.
That said, the Celtics point guard has managed to prove the doubters wrong in his first official season as the team's ringmaster.
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