Father of Mavs guard throws Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving under the bus after loss

Noah Weber

Dallas Mavericks, Kyrie Irving, Luka Doncic / Tim Heitman/GettyImages

On Monday night, the Dallas Mavericks disappointingly fell to the Oklahoma City Thunder in Game 4 and the series is now tied 2-2 heading into Game 5 in Oklahoma City on Wednesday night.

Dallas had every chance to win Game 4, but the struggles of both Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving combined with their horrendous free-throw shooting in this game led to the loss. Doncic and Irving combined for just 27 points in this game, and the Mavs blew a perfect opportunity to take a 3-1 series lead.

While most of Doncic's struggles can be attributed to the countless injuries he's battling, the Thunder also must get credit for the defense they are sending his way. Although Lu Dort plays recklessly, he is frustrating Doncic and he seems more focused on drawing fouls than just playing some of the time.

Tim Hardaway Sr. throws Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving under the bus after Game 4

Father of Mavs guard Tim Hardaway Jr., Tim Hardaway Sr., spoke out about the Mavs' struggles in Game 4 and threw both Doncic and Irving under the bus.

Hardaway Sr. said that Irving is "deferring to Luka too much" in this series. He has already roasted Doncic's playstyle earlier in the playoffs, and now he is roasting Irving's playstyle.

Irving scoring just nine points in a playoff game is concerning, but this is all due to the Thunder's extreme focus on slowing him down. It's clear that they are prioritizing stopping Doncic and Irving, which has led to huge P.J. Washington performances, and Hardaway Sr. continuing to talk down on his son's team has to be distracting.

Hardaway Jr. has finally been able to string together some solid performances, and now he has to worry about things that his father is saying from the outside looking in. This is not the best look for Hardaway Sr., and only time will tell if the Mavs can bounce back and win this series.

The Mavs were in the same position in their last series against the LA Clippers, but both Doncic and Irving have to be better if the Mavs want to take home a series win.

For all the latest on Kyrie Irving, Luka Doncic, and the Dallas Mavericks throughout their heated series against the Oklahoma City Thunder, stay tuned.

Noah Weber

Noah Weber is the Site Expert for The Smoking Cuban, covering the Dallas Mavericks as a credentialed media member since the 2022-23 season. With a Bachelor of Science in Sports Media from Oklahoma State University, Noah has worked in sports journalism since 2019. While he's covered the Dallas Cowboys and Oklahoma State Cowboys, he has now established himself as a go-to voice for Mavericks coverage. Noah's expertise includes in-depth game analysis, social media content creation, and offering unique perspectives through his reporting. His work has been featured on major platforms such as ESPN, Bleacher Report, and Overtime. During his time at Oklahoma State, Noah won first place in the Oklahoma Broadcast Education Association Awards for a show he co-produced. Outside of covering the Mavs, Noah enjoys working out, playing basketball and Spikeball, and spending quality time with friends and family.