"I have a little experience in this" - Kyrie Irving flexes 2016 comeback after rough start to 2024 NBA Finals
Kyrie Irving of the Dallas Mavericks is not worried about going down 2-0 in the 2024 NBA Finals against the Boston Celtics. Irving and the rest of the Mavs will be back at home for Games 3 and 4, wherein they need to win both games to make things more interesting.
In his postgame interview on Sunday, Irving flexed his experience in coming back from a deficit in the NBA Finals. He pointed out his time with the Cleveland Cavaliers and the way they came back from down 3-1 to lift an NBA championship over the Golden State Warriors in 2016.
"Now it's our job to go home and do the same. Being in the Finals before down 0-2, I have a little experience in this. Didn't play particularly well in the first two games in that series too that I'm referring to, so now I'm just really leaning on what I've experienced, what I've learned. Some of the lessons I've been able to make sense of and how to come back in this series because it's gonna be a possession-by-possession thing. It is gonna be the hardest thing that we've ever done," Irving said.
As mentioned above, Kyrie Irving was talking about the 2016 NBA Finals against the Golden State Warriors. Irving didn't have a great shooting performance in Games 1 and 2 of that series before coming alive in Games 3 to 5 to keep the Cleveland Cavaliers afloat.
Irving had 26 points in Game 1 of that series but was 7-for-22 from the field and made his living in the free throw line. He followed it up with a 10-point stinker in Game 2 before scoring 30, 34 and 41 in the next three games. He ended up hitting the title-winning shot in Game 7 to give the Cavaliers their first-ever championship.
Kyrie Irving continued to struggle in Game 2 loss
Kyrie Irving has not had the best time in Boston for Games 1 and 2 of the 2024 NBA Finals. Irving had 12 points in Game 1 and followed it up with 16 points in Game 2, both of which are losses. He has also not made a single three in the series and is currently 0-for-8.
The good news for Irving and the Mavericks is they are going back home at the American Airlines Center for Games 3 and 4. Fans are now on their side and they can certainly give the Mavs some momentum. They surely want to get back to Boston tied 2-2 rather than down 3-1 or worse when the Celtics end in four games.
It should also be pointed out that Jayson Tatum has not found his rhythm for Boston, with Jaylen Brown, Jrue Holiday, Derrick White and Kristaps Porzingis picking up the slack.