Kyrie Irving is off to a horrendous start in the NBA Finals, shooting a combined 13-of-37 from the field through the Mavericks’ first two losses. Irving, who shot 42.1 percent from three in the first three rounds, has yet to convert on the deep ball against Boston — a very worrying sign for Dallas.
The star guard needs to step up his game to give Dallas a chance to bounce back from a 2-0 deficit, a feat only accomplished by five teams in NBA Finals history.
From the Mavericks’ perspective, Irving’s struggles are more infuriating since Luka Doncic, his running mate, has held up his end of the bargain. In fact, Doncic has been so good that he’s out-scoring Boston’s top scorer, Jaylen Brown, by nearly 10 points through the first two games. However, the next five leading scorers have all been Celtics, proving that the better team always beats out stars.
Irving could offset Boston’s “score by committee” approach if he could revert back into the player he was in the earlier playoff rounds. After Sunday’s Game 2 loss, Irving said he’s been missing a lot of shots that he would otherwise convert.
“I’m a little disappointed in myself for not being able to convert on a lot more opportunities,” Irving told reporters. “Going against Jrue Holiday and Jaylen Brown, at times, I feel I have the upper edge on certain possessions. I just gotta convert. They kept pushing me to my left [side]. I need to make the adjustments. I have to play better.”
Some have jokingly cited Irving for evoking the curse of Lucky when he visited TD Garden as a member of the Nets. The incident occurred during Game 5 of the first-round series between the Nets and Celtics in 2021 as Irving celebrated Brooklyn’s 4-1 series win by stepping on Celtics’ mascot. The following year, the Nets would get swept by the C’s. Irving hasn’t won a game in Boston since.
Eight years ago, Irving played just as critical a role as his running mate, LeBron James, as the Cavaliers overcame a 3-1 hole in the finals. Doncic needs that version of Irving for Dallas to pull this off.
