"His inner Steph Curry?" - Kenny Smith can't believe Draymond Green's Kyrie Irving take linked to 2x MVP
Dallas Mavericks star guard Kyrie Irving got off to a hot start during Wednesday's Game 1 Western Conference finals showdown against the Minnesota Timberwolves. His strong play garnered him an unexpected comparison from Golden State Warriors veteran forward Draymond Green, with TNT's Kenny Smith questioning Green's take.
Irving finished the first half of Game 1 with 24 points on 11-for-14 (78.6%) shooting, showcasing his dynamic offensive arsenal. The eight-time All-Star's 24 points marked his most in a first half as a Maverick, helping Dallas hang around, entering halftime trailing 62-59.
During TNT's halftime report, Green, a guest co-host, likened Irving to his Warriors superstar teammate Steph Curry.
"He's channeling his inner Steph Curry right here," Green said as he broke down Irving's first-half highlights.
Irving and Curry are former rivals, having faced off in the NBA Finals three consecutive years from 2015 to 2017. So, Smith seemingly felt the comparison was disrespectful to the Mavericks star.
"His inner Steph Curry?" Smith asked.
Green subsequently doubled down on his comparison, highlighting his reasoning.
"Absolutely. He's moving without the ball," Green said. "Once again, inner Steph Curry."
After being likened to the two-time MVP, Kyrie Irving struggled offensively in the second half, tallying six points on 1-for-9 (11.1%) shooting. Nevertheless, his 30-point total made him the contest's second-leading scorer behind his co-star Luka Doncic (33 points).
Their 63 combined points helped Dallas secure a 108-105 road victory and steal home-court advantage from Minnesota.
Luka Doncic commends Kyrie Irving's sensational Game 1 first-half performance against Minnesota
After the Mavericks' Game 1 victory over the Timberwolves, Luka Doncic raved about Kyrie Irving's first-half dominance.
Doncic noted that his strong showing allowed Dallas to avoid falling into a sizeable early deficit, setting the stage for his 19-point second-half takeover.
“He got us going. Without him, we would probably be down 20 at halftime,” Doncic said. “I had to help him in the second half a little bit. So, we switched roles this time.”
Meanwhile, Irving acknowledged that he began the contest with extra motivation after Timberwolves rising superstar wing Anthony Edwards' comments about wanting to defend him.
"I used it as motivation," Irving said. "When I was sitting at home and I saw it, it was just a nod of respect, and also, I knew what type of game it would be."
Irving and Doncic continue to cement their case for being the NBA's best backcourt. However, they will likely have their hands full the rest of the series against the league's top defensive team.
They will look to guide Dallas to a 2-0 series lead over Minnesota during Friday's Game 2 clash in Minneapolis.
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