Kyrie Irving's expertise in key area shows why he's perfect for Mavericks

Kyrie Irving showed again why he's the king of second halves.

In a back-to-back against Minnesota, the veteran put the team on his back against their Western Conference foe.

His efforts were needed after Luka Doncic was hobbling to the locker room near the end of the first half.

Irving is a perfect piece to the Mavericks and he showed why tonight.

Kyrie Irving's dominance in second half is exactly what Mavs needed

Doncic hasn't shot his best to start out the season.

Even though Doncic made a cold-blooded shot near the half-court logo to help seal the victory, Irving was the main show in the second half.

After a 24-point first quarter from Anthony Edwards, Edwards cooled down for the rest of the night.

Instead, it was Irving's show in the second half, picking his path, and making shots almost every time he would touch the ball. He went for a total of 35 points in the game.

This was a game of everybody doing their job. Klay Thompson continued his streak of making shots from beyond the arc. While Doncic was out and struggling for parts of the game, Irving was always there to make plays on the offensive end.

Irving hit six 3-pointers on the night while getting plenty of good looks on the court. Usually, Irving is using his handle to get through space into ridiculous traffic, but that would not be the case against their Western Conference foe.

TNT's Stan Van Gundy is still high on the duo of Doncic and Irving, claiming they are the best duo in the history of the NBA.

These are strong words from Van Gundy, especially since the two players are only in their second full season together.

The skilled nature of both of these players is something the NBA cannot ignore. Irving on the Mavericks looks like something this league has rarely seen. He was prepared to be a true leader this season. If he needs to be the guy to take charge, he'll do it, and he did against Minnesota.

Nico Harrison would've loved to have Irving in his eight years ago, but Irving in 2024 is a different story. Irving looks mentally ready each time to play in a Maverick uniform.

Doncic may very well bring out the best in Irving in his veteran years, and Doncic needs veterans like Irving and Thompson to help take him back to the NBA Finals.

We don't need to see this kind of basketball from Irving all season, just consistency, but if the Mavs can get these performances from Irving more times than not over the course of the season, it's going to be tough for the Mavericks to stop.