"Smart sense of desperation" - Kyrie Irving calls upon Mavericks teammates to play cerebrally under duress
Kyrie Irving’s solid first half was a key part in the Dallas Mavericks’ 122-84 crushing of the Boston Celtics in Game 4 on Friday. The emphatic victory allowed the Mavs to stave off a sweep and take the series back to Boston for Game 5. Irving and Co. are still down 3-1 but they have gotten the breakthrough they needed to make it an even more competitive series.
“Uncle Drew” scattered 11 points in the first 24 minutes and caused the Celtics problems with his aggressive play. He aggressively attacked the paint to pressure Boston’s defense. More often than not, he was able to help his team build a commanding 61-35 advantage after the opening two quarters.
After the game, Kyrie Irving was asked by former NBA player Steve Smith what he and his team have to do in Game 5 to inch closer to the Celtics. Irving responded:
“We have to play with a sense of desperation, very smart sense of desperation. We don’t wanna go out there and just throw the ball around the place. We wanna attack their weak points and continue to be efficient in the paint area.”
In Game 4, the Mavericks crushed the Celtics 60-26 inside the paint. They also had an overwhelming 52-36 advantage in that department two nights ago but couldn’t pull out the win. Irving noted that the paint is Boston’s biggest weakness, an area that the Mavericks will likely attack with more gusto in the next game.
The Dallas Mavericks also got a scintillating display from Luka Doncic who couldn’t play the final 4:12 of Game 3 after committing six personal fouls. “Luka Magic” dropped 25 first-half points, and along with Irving’s 21, blew away the Celtics.
Kyrie Irving and the Mavs will now have to pack up their bags to face the same opponents at TD Garden on Monday.
Kyrie Irving emphasized Boston’s lack of interior protection due to Kristaps Porzingis injury
Kyrie Irving couldn’t be any clearer about how they plan to attack the Boston Celtics in Game 5. With Kristaps Porzingis dealing with an injury, the Dallas Mavericks will likely be more forceful in attacking the paint.
"They have some shotblockers in there but their main shotblocker is not in there with KP [Porzingis] being injured. We gotta take advantage of that."
Porzingis’ return from a calf injury in the NBA Finals was a big factor in the series. With him in the middle, Dallas’ vaunted lob game screeched to a halt in the first two games. Dallas’ break came when another injury forced him out of Game 3. He might have had a chance to play in Game 4, but Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla claimed to use him only in certain situations.
Kyrie Irving and his teammates know the stats show how they can be dominant in the paint without the Latvian. In the first two games of the NBA Finals, Dallas won the paint in the points battle 100-86. In Games 3 and 4 without “KP,” the Mavericks buried the Celtics with an avalanche inside the shaded lane 112-62.
Count on the Celtics to make adjustments, but the Mavs know the 7-foot-2 center is irreplaceable in the middle of the defense. Irving’s group may be able to bring the series back to Dallas if it can continue capitalizing on that end.