Kyrie Irving reckons 'legitimate contenders' Mavericks are a hot target amid recent surge: "Teams are coming after us"
Kyrie Irving believes the Dallas Mavericks are now among the teams opponents want to amp up their performance against after the team's 7-0 winning streak was snapped. On Monday, the Indiana Pacers caused an upset against the surging Mavericks with a 133-111 home win.
The new-look Mavericks were favored to win this enticing bout, but Indiana outplayed them. Dallas' seven-game winning streak has changed the perspective around its title chances, which Irving is well aware of. He felt the heat after the Pacers handed the Mavs an unexpected blowout loss.
"A lot of teams are coming after us," Irving told reporters (via Mavericks' beat writer Grant Afseth).
"You kind of see the media calling us legitimate contenders. I don't think it's our time right now to be listening to all that noise. We just have to focus on one game at a time and get ready for what's ahead of us."
The notion that the Mavericks have 'legitimate contenders' conversation is up for debate, but their significant improvement with trade deadline additions Daniel Gafford and PJ Washington is inarguable.
Dallas couldn't have surrounded Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving with pieces better than it boasts now. It acquired the stretch four and a rim-protecting/lob-threat center it coveted for long.
Indiana Pacers ramp up the intensity to fend off Kyrie Irving and the Mavericks
It's no surprise that Kyrie Irving felt the Mavericks were under threat from their opponents after their streaking run, as the Pacers relied on hustle and grit to get a win on Sunday. Indiana was more aggressive on offense and disruptive on defense. The Pacers outscored the Mavs 48-32 in the paint and 23-7 on fastbreak points.
Indiana also gained an edge on the boards with a 46-38 advantage. Dallas finally met a team that could match its size and length, so this could be good learning for Jason Kidd and his staff to use adequate lineups against opponents like the Pacers.
The Dallas Mavericks played too much in isolation after accounting for a season-low 15 assists. The Indiana Pacers had 38 assists, which led to better shot opportunities.
Kyrie Irving and Luka Doncic combined to attempt 43 of 87 Mavs' field goals, which the Pacers had no issues dealing with as it automatically neutralized their supporting cast that's been critical to the team's turnaround.
The Mavericks only had four players scoring in double-digits, with two under 15 points. Meanwhile, the Pacers had seven players scoring in double-digits, with four scoring 15 or more. Myles Turner and Luka Doncic had a game-high 33 points, Kyrie Irving scored 29, and Tyrese Haliburton finished with 17 points and 10 assists.