A champion, a multiple-time All-Star, one of the most skilled players ever to play and a pure wizard with the ball, Kyrie Irving is probably one of the most polarizing figures in basketball today.
But when the lights are at the brightest, Uncle Drew is at his best.
The proof? He’s now 13-0 in close-out games in his entire career.
"His basketball IQ is like no other," Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd said of his superstar guard, after Irving dropped 28 of his 30 points in the second half of Dallas’ series-clinching 114-101 win over the Los Angeles Clippers.
[ALSO READ: Mavericks finally solve Clippers puzzle, advance to West semis vs Thunder]
— NBA (@NBA) May 4, 2024
Coach Jason Kidd gives his take on Kyrie's 13-0 record in elimination games 🗣?
DAL visits OKC for Game 1 on Tuesday at 9:30pm/et on TNT 🍿 pic.twitter.com/WqmfCPH5Xq
“His decision-making on when to go and when to let others go, it’s extremely high. His patience, the confidence that his teammates and coaches have in him that he’s going to do the right thing and you can see that so I would say that’s why his record is perfect.”
Irving had a 10-0 record in close-out games as a Cleveland Cavalier and then won one each in his brief tenure with the Boston Celtics and the Brooklyn Nets.
Now with the Mavericks--his fourth team in his 13-year NBA career--the 2014 All-Star Game MVP showcased his killer mentality anew, lighting it up in the final two quarters with a dazzling scoring display.
Kyrie Irving scored 28 of his 30 points in the 2nd half to help advance the @dallasmavs to the West Semis!
— NBA (@NBA) May 4, 2024
DAL visits OKC for Game 1 on Tuesday at 9:30pm/et on TNT 🍿 pic.twitter.com/RjZl7rTZBO
Kidd also praised Irving’s positive mindset and leadership since his arrival in Dallas.
“It was Kai-like there in the second half. I thought he was having a really good game, had some good looks there in the first half that just didn’t go down. But as we talked before the game, just his calmness, his energy is always positive in the locker room. Then there in the third, he got going and in the fourth, he kept going,” Kidd said.
“That’s just the leadership and trust that the guys have on the floor with him. Just his calmness and he took what the defense gave. He got going, helped us with that 8-0 run to start the third. I thought from that point on, we just went.”
A former 2011 NBA champion with the Mavs, Kidd also noted that getting over the Clippers’ hump is “no easy task,” and reminded his team to savor the moment.
“Enjoy it. We have tomorrow off, regroup on Sunday and focus on Oklahoma City. To beat the Clippers is no easy task, it wasn’t given [and] those guys earned it."
This will be the first time that the Mavericks and Thunder will meet in a playoff series since 2016, where the OKC beat Dallas in the West opening round in five games.
