5 Peaks and 5 pits from the Dallas Mavericks' season thus far

9. Peak: Kyrie Irving's game-winner in LA

One of the most exciting moments of the season for the Dallas Mavericks came in Los Angeles on November 22, where Kyrie Irving drained the game-winning 3-pointer off of an assist from Luka Doncic with 21.1 seconds remaining.

The game had all the glitz and glamour of a typical star-studded affair between two dynamic duos, but Irving's 3-pointer elevated this game into one of the top moments of the season for Dallas thus far because of its significance in shifting the national media perspective on Doncic and Irving as a pairing.

Doncic and Irving have proved to be a tantalizing duo whenever their combination of playmaking and basketball IQ is displayed on the court together, ever since Irving stepped foot in Dallas last February.

With that being said, talking heads on television can be harsh critics. After multiple clutch-time woes and an underwhelming post-All-Star break record of 7-15 to finish the 2022-23 season in Dallas, Irving and Doncic quickly became the scapegoat for Dallas' issues on a national stage even if it wasn't necessarily their fault.

Irving's game-winner off of an assist from Doncic in the sports media-infested city that is Los Angeles epitomizes what it means to shut up the haters. Given the skepticism that Irving has faced as well as the skepticism that Doncic and Irving's on-court fit together has raised, we can only hope that Irving's game-winner is an omen for future crowd-silencing moments late in games this season between Doncic and him.