"There's no primary secondary": Kyrie Irving speaks highly of his "hermano" Luka Doncic and their elite chemistry
Kyrie Irving and Luka Doncic propelled the Dallas Mavericks to a 114-101 victory against the LA Clippers in Game 6 on Friday night. The win secured a series victory for Dallas, setting up a second-round matchup with the Oklahoma City Thunder in the NBA playoffs.
Following the win, Kyrie Irving spoke about his partnership with Luka Doncic, addressing him as:
“Mi Hermano,”
He continued:
“It’s easy to play alongside somebody like that. But you also have to be sure of yourself because when somebody’s that special it’s easy to kind of fall into that secondary role. There’s no primary, secondary – we’re one team.
Throughout the game, the Mavericks stars collaborated on a second-half rally that advanced Dallas to the Western Conference semifinals in their first playoffs together.
Doncic contributed 28 points and 13 assists, while Irving added 28 of his 30 points after the break. This time, with Irving by his side, Doncic succeeded in what the five-time All-Star couldn't do earlier in his career: closing out the Clippers in Dallas during Game 6 of a first-round playoff series.
How Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving led the Dallas Mavericks to beat LA Clippers
Kyrie Irving, acquired at last year's trade deadline to bolster the Mavericks' playoff aspirations, guarded James Harden extensively in the first half, allowing him just two points on six shots.
The eight-time All-Star broke a 52-52 tie with a layup at the start of the second half, followed by Doncic sinking a 3-pointer after missing all seven of his attempts from the deep in the first half.
After an LA turnover, Irving nailed a 3-pointer, pushing Dallas to an eight-point lead after squandering a 13-point advantage in the second quarter.
The Mavericks dominated the Clippers 35-20 in the third quarter, a key period that also propelled them to their Game 5 victory in Los Angeles, enabling them to return home with a chance to clinch the series.
They extended their lead to 20 early in the fourth quarter in game six. Irving provided Dallas with its largest lead through a tough four-point play, sinking a leaning 3-pointer while fouled by P.J. Tucker and completing the free throw for a 106-82 advantage.
The Clippers managed an 11-2 run to cut the deficit to 13 but didn’t pose a serious threat for a serious comeback in the closing minutes. This was after George, Harden and Ivica Zubac had each logged at least 22 minutes in the first half to help LA narrow the gap.