3. Kyrie Irving is due for big games in Boston
During the first two games of the 2024 NBA Finals, Dallas Mavericks star guard Kyrie Irving couldn’t get things going. He was making uncharacteristic mistakes, didn’t look fully locked in, and was plainly letting Luka Doncic down.
Irving admitted to this, and it was clear that the hostile Boston Celtics crowd got to him. He was seemingly too worried about what they were saying, as he was seen talking trash with some fans and hyping up the crowd to be louder during “Kyrie sucks” chants.
Irving stirred the pot a little bit by saying he thought the crowd was going to be louder after Game 1, and it brought him even more boos in Game 2. He got his game back on track in Dallas for Games 3 and 4 as he was dominant in both games.
His slashing to the rim was elite, and he used his quickness to blowby Celtics defenders with ease. Many of the bunnies that Irving was missing around the rim in Games 1 and 2 started to go down in Games 3 and 4, and the Celtics couldn’t keep up with him.
After two great games in Dallas, Irving seems due for some big games in Boston. He finally got that first win against the Celtics since leaving under his belt, and now he has to get his first road win against Boson (since leaving them).
It’s not going to be easy, but a good Irving game in Boston could guarantee the Mavericks a Game 6 back in Dallas.