Kyrie Irving Shoulders Blame for Mavericks' NBA Finals Struggles

Highlights

Kyrie Irving must step up for the Mavericks to have a chance to come back in the NBA Finals against the Boston Celtics.
Luka Dončić has been carrying the load for the Mavericks through the first two games.
Irving shouldered the blame for the Mavericks’ struggles, admitting he has to play better for Dončić and the Mavericks.

The Boston Celtics gained a 2-0 lead in the NBA Finals over the Dallas Mavericks after winning the first two games of the series played in Boston. Their wins have come with incredible play from their top six players. Their starters have been phenomenal, and Kristaps Porzingis coming off the bench hhads been the punch that they needed heading into the Finals.

Despite the Celtics top six players being incredible to start, Porzingis suffered a leg injury during Game 2 that was unrelated to his previous calf injury. His injury will open the door for a potential comeback by the Mavericks, who have struggled through the first two games, particularly Kyrie Irving, who took the blame for the Mavericks’ struggles early on in the series.

Irving had this to say regarding his play so far in the series via Joey Mistretta of ClutchPoints on X:

“Well it started with me, just telling my hermano [Luka Dončić], I gotta play better for him, alongside him. In order for us to accomplish our goal, we both have to be playing well, and we both have to be doing the little things, doing whatever it takes to win… It’s my fault. Taking accountability for not playing particularly well.” – Kyrie Irving

Irving will need to step up for the Mavericks if they are to win both home games and even the series.

Mavericks Need Team Effort to Win Series

Luka Dončić has been carrying the load for the Mavericks

Luka Dončić has proven to be one of the league’s top players in this postseason while getting solid production from his supporting cast throughout these playoffs. To start this series, he has carried the load while his teammates have struggled to get going.

Through the first two games, the Mavericks have only had three players averaging double figures, outside of Dončić, with nobody averaging more than 16 points a game. Dončić himself is doubling the number of total points as the player who has scored the second most on the team, P.J. Washington.

Luka Dončić & Kyrie Irving Statistics – First 3 Rounds vs NBA Finals
Category	Dončić – First 3 Rounds	Dončić – NBA Finals	Irving – First 3 Rounds	Irving – NBA Finals
PPG	28.8	31.0	22.8	14.0
RPG	9.6	10.5	3.9	2.5
APG	8.8	6.0	5.2	4.0
FG%	43.8%	51.1%	48.5%	35.1%
3P%	34.3%	38.1%	42.1%	0%

While Dončić has stepped up for the Finals, many of his teammates have struggled heavily to start the series. A big factor of the Mavericks’ struggles so far has been Dončić’s lack of playmaking. His potential assists per game throughout the playoffs has been 14.6 per game, second behind Nikola Jokić.

During the first two games of the Finals, his potential assists dropped to 10.5 per game, so he is creating fewer opportunities for his teammates. He needs to get his teammates going earlier in games to increase their confidence.

Irving had this to say about trusting in his team via Joey Mistretta of ClutchPoints on X:

“I gotta continue to trust my guys around me and have fun in the process. We’ve gotten this far because we have been a great team, not because we have just put it on me and Luka. It’s been a total team effort, total organizational effort to get this far, so we just gotta keep trusting in that.” – Kyrie Irving

Irving and the Mavericks will look to bounce back and potentially become the sixth team to win the Finals after trailing 0-2 after the first two games.