Kyrie Irving shines as Dallas Mavericks suffer soul-crushing loss to Hawks

The Dallas Mavericks lost to the Atlanta Hawks 132-130 in overtime on Sunday evening. It was a slow start for Dallas, but they fought back knowing their season was on the line. Kyrie Irving did everything he could for Dallas, but the Hawks got the last laugh in Atlanta on April 2 as both teams needed the victory. Trae Young made the winning free throws in OT after Irving fouled him with just 1.8 seconds remaining.

Dallas was on the second night of a back-to-back set after playing in Miami on Saturday, but they had to win to keep even their slim hopes of reaching the Play-In Tournament alive. The Mavs are one game back of the Thunder for tenth in the Western Conference, but Oklahoma City holds the tiebreaker meaning Dallas is all but eliminated with three games to go.

It was Kyrie who carried the mail for Dallas on Sunday evening. He came out hot and had his fourth 40-point game of the season. It was still not enough as the Mavericks lost their third straight game. Here is a closer look at Sunday's contest.

Kyrie Irving shines as Dallas Mavericks suffer soul-crushing loss to Hawks

Kyrie Irving came out hot for the Mavericks on Sunday afternoon. He was aggressive and assertive as he scored 20 points in the opening half. Irving looked determined on April 2, and fans can see one of his many fancy finishes below.

The eight-time All-Star finished with 41 points, five rebounds, four assists, two steals, and one block in 44 minutes of action. He made 16 of his 27 field goal attempts, while going eight of eight from the free throw line. Irving certainly brought it on the second night of a back-to-back as he had 14 in the fourth to help Dallas force overtime.

Luka Doncic looked worn out in Atlanta, but he still finished with 22 points, seven rebounds, seven assists in 44 minutes of action. The 24-year-old superstar made just eight of his 21 field goals and had five turnovers against the Hawks on April 2.

His supporting cast stepped up on Sunday evening. Credit to Josh Green for bouncing back after a rough game, and JaVale McGee made a massive impact off the bench after being outside the rotation for most of the season. Dallas had five players in double figures, and Irving took the scoring lead, but the same old issues reared their ugly heads as the Mavericks lost their third straight contest.

The defense was again problematic for Dallas on Sunday evening. They gave up 37 in the first quarter and 70 in the opening half. The Mavs were better in the second half with their season on the line, but they could have won the game in regulation if they just stepped up their energy on the defensive earlier on April 2.

The Mavs reached the conference finals last season on the back of their defense, which has made their performance on that end of the floor this year even more depressing. They must be better if they want to get back to the playoffs and make a run next season. Dallas gave up too many easy scores at the basket and open 3-pointers, and it was again a recipe for disaster.

Things got wild in the final moments of regulation. Christian Wood missed a free throw to tie the game in the final seconds, but Dallas got possession after the Hawks tipped the ball out of bounds with 0.4 seconds remaining. On the inbound, Atlanta fouled JaVale McGee on a lob attempt. The seven-footer made just one of two, which sent the game to overtime.

The Hawks outscored Dallas nine to seven in the extra session as Luka missed the game-winning buzzer-beater. The Mavericks will have a losing record this season, and they finished 15-25 on the road.

The Dallas Mavericks have just three games left in the regular season. They go back home to host the Sacramento Kings on Wednesday night. Luka Doncic and company have only home games left and none of those will be easy. Can Dallas salvage a few wins to wrap up the regular season? Tune in to find out.