DALLAS – Dallas Mavericks superstar Kyrie Irving, after helping lead his team to a 104-92 victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder in Game 5, shared his thoughts on the physically demanding nature of the NBA semifinals. Western Conference, describing them as “one of the most difficult.” series I have ever played.” This win moved the Mavericks to a 3-2 series lead, bolstered by Luka Doncic channeling “old Luka” playing with joy, resulting in a 31-point triple-double.
“It’s really just the pace and the physicality,” Irving said. “And the last series was also physical, and the pace was a little different. But I think this series has challenged me physically, mentally and emotionally. I have accepted it and focused on the things I can control.” and I focused on getting my guys started early and however the game goes, it goes.”
May 15, 2024; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, United States; Dallas Mavericks guard Kyrie Irving (11) drives toward the / Alonzo Adams-Keynote USA Sports
Despite these challenges, he is averaging 14.4 points, 6.8 assists and 2.4 rebounds entering Game 6. Irving’s approach has been tactical and composed, concentrating on making the right plays based on how the defense presents itself. Throughout the series, Irving has faced intense defensive scrutiny, often being the target of double teams and aggressive defensive coverages.
“They’re keeping someone who’s athletic, that’s going to make it difficult for me,” Irving said. “So I don’t mind giving up to create opportunities for my teammates and I like to see them do well.”
Irving has emphasized reading the defense and committing to the right basketball play. He remains prepared to take more challenging shots when necessary, although he believes that time has not yet come. He remains determined to make a strong defensive impact and continue to take advantage of what is offered on offense.
“But I’m really putting my hat on the defensive end and giving a lot of effort and just trying to make the right plays offensively,” Irving said. “Sometimes they put 3s on the ball, and obviously I could make a lot of difficult shots, and I think that will happen in the near future, when necessary. But for now I just read the game and give up the ball. Gods shower me with a lot love when you play the right way.”
While some players may not be willing to give up scoring performances like Irving has, he admitted that getting to that stage required him to mature in the past. He doesn’t want to fall into what he described as a “trap” of obsessing over the goal. He is prepared to be aggressive by landing harder punches if necessary, but he doesn’t feel the situation calls for it yet.
“I’ve talked about this a few times, but internally, as a young player, when I was a little bit younger, it was easy for me to throw away the good things I was doing because I wanted to focus.” in my scoring, and I know how many people want me to focus on my scoring, right, that aren’t in the locker room,” Irving said. “So I don’t want to fall into that trap.
“I really want to focus on the positive vibes that my teammates give me that will find me when the time comes,” Irving explained. “But I love finding them and when you can come out of a tough environment like OKC with a win, you really have to celebrate.”
Leadership has been a major focus for Irving, especially given the young makeup of the Mavericks roster. Irving and Doncic have been tasked with leading the team through the playoffs, a responsibility they have both taken seriously.
“We were held accountable from the beginning of the year that he was going to start with us and that he was going to challenge us,” Irving said, acknowledging the expectations set by Mavericks coaches and management.
The depth of the Mavericks’ roster has proven to be crucial, particularly in Game 5, with players like Derrick Jones Jr. stepping up to score a career-high 19 points in the playoffs. Irving praised his teammates’ ability to take advantage of his moments, emphasizing the collective effort that has characterized his playoff run.
“When our guys make shots, especially threes from the corner or that wing, it creates a lot of opportunities for Luka and I to go downhill because they’re showing a lot of help, they’re showing a lot of bodies. ”Irving explained.
Defensively, the Mavericks have developed a strong identity, which Irving proudly highlighted. Trust between teammates and their joint defensive efforts have been key to their success, allowing them to effectively counter the Thunder’s offensive strategies.
“We’ve just grown and allowed our confidence in each other’s abilities to really flourish. We have guys who enjoy defending but also get tired,” Irving said. “So we’re going to need our depth to really come through and really give us that spark off the bench… But I think for us, energy-wise, having that confidence in him and him being so young in a game of playoff semifinals, Game 5, could go either way, and it also shows the confidence J-Kidd has in him. It was just a tremendous effort on his part.
“And then everyone who came off the bench and gave us something we needed in the game,” Irving explained. “D-Live was a plus-22 tonight, and it just reflects how we feel about each other when we play at that level where we can basically go out in that game and just play basketball instead of worrying about the X’s and O’s. “We just worry about playing basketball our style of basketball.”
As the series moves into Game 6, Irving’s perfect 13-0 record in late games will be tested against a Thunder team that won’t back down. A win would take Dallas to the Western Conference Finals, with the matchup being decided in Sunday’s Game 7 between the Minnesota Timberwolves and the Denver Nuggets.
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