“Took it for granted” - Kyrie Irving gets emotional addressing return to Conference Finals after 7 years
The duo of Kyrie Irving and Luka Doncic propelled the Dallas Mavericks to the Western Conference finals after upsetting the top-seeded OKC Thunder on Saturday in Game 6 of the West semifinals. The victory propels the Mavericks to their second Western Conference Finals appearance in three years.
Dallas now anticipates the outcome of the Sunday matchup between the Denver Nuggets and the Minnesota Timberwolves in Game 7 to determine their next opponent.
Kyrie Irving spoke to the media during the post-game interview, breaking down the value of returning to the conference finals after 2017 with the Cleveland Cavaliers. He was a member of the Boston Celtics in 2018; however, injuries kept him out of the lineup and he could not participate in the East finals.
"It's been a long time coming," Kyrie Irving said. "Just being back in this position, getting back to the finals or the conference finals, it's just a long way back. You know, looking back at parts of my career where I took it for granted, you know just getting to the conference finals."
Kyrie Irving finished with 22 points, two rebounds and three assists with four turnovers on 9 of 23 shooting from the field, including 4 of 10 from beyond the arc, and didn’t attempt a single free throw, overall boasting a +2 net rating in the win.
Kyrie Irving comes clutch with crucial 3-pointer in the fourth
The Mavericks were trailing 116-115 in the final seconds when OKC's Shai Gilgeous-Alexander fouled Dallas forward P.J. Washington on a corner 3-point attempt with 2.5 seconds remaining.
Washington sank the first two free throws to give Dallas a 117-116 lead and missed the third intentionally since OKC had no timeouts left. Jalen Williams missed a near full-court heave at the buzzer, sealing the game.
Kyrie Irving had a slow start but made several crucial shots in the second half. At halftime, with the Mavericks down by 16, Irving challenged his teammates, and they responded.
One of the three 3-pointers the Mavericks made in the last 4 minutes of the game came through via Kyrie's unreal shooting touch, as the ball bounced around the rim to go in, giving the Mavericks a marginal lead in the close contest.
Luka Doncic, who delivered his best performance of the playoffs in Game 5 with a 30-point triple-double, followed up with 29 points, 10 rebounds, and 10 assists, shooting 9-15 overall and 4-6 from deep. After experiencing a dip in efficiency earlier in the playoffs, Doncic responded by posting two of his most efficient outings in consecutive games.