Getty Kyrie Irving of the Dallas Mavericks.
The Dallas Mavericks still have a chance to make the playoffs. With just a couple of games left in the season, Dallas finds themselves stuck in 11th place in the Western Conference, but their win on Wednesday night ensured that they still have a chance to get into the Play-In Tournament.
They took down the Sacramento Kings on Wednesday, picking up a crucial victory. Kyrie Irving came up huge for Dallas down the stretch, helping will them to victory. After the game, Luka Doncic had some high praise for his Mavericks teammate.
“It was amazing, man,” Doncic said of Irving’s shot-making via the Fanatics View YouTube channel. “It was amazing to watch. When we most needed it, he showed up. So, it was amazing to watch.”
Doncic also spoke about what it’s like to play with a player of Irving’s caliber who is able to take the pressure off of him.
“Yeah, for sure. The caliber of player that Kyrie is is insane,” Doncic said. “The plays he made were insane, especially down the stretch. Some of the really tough shots, he made. But he’s been known for that. So, it’s amazing to watch.”
Irving put up great stats against the Kings. He finished the game with 31 points, four rebounds, eight assists, and two steals on 12-of-23 shooting from the field and 6-of-10 shooting from behind the three-point line.
As for Doncic, he also played very well. He ended the night with 29 points, 10 rebounds, six assists, and one steal on 9-of-19 shooting from the floor and 3-of-11 shooting from beyond the three-point arc.
Luka Doncic Sounds Off on Mavericks
Over the past few weeks, the Mavericks have crumbled, and it’s put them in a position to potentially miss the postseason entirely after making the Western Conference Finals just last year. Recently, Doncic spoke about the team’s struggles, placing the blame on their subpar play on the defensive end.
“I don’t think the offense is a problem, and I always said this,” Doncic told ESPN’s Tim MacMahon. “It’s our defensive end. I think anybody can score on us. Whoever it is, anybody can score on us. But that’s not an excuse, I’m still young, age-wise, but it’s a lot of basketball. But I gotta be way better.”
Luka Doncic Disses Mavericks Chemistry
In addition, Doncic also recently spoke about the team’s chemistry. He praised former teammate Jalen Brunson, noting how much the Mavericks miss him. Doncic then went on to state that the team’s chemistry isn’t great right now, praising the connectivity last season’s squad had.
“No, not right now.” Doncic said via Callie Caplan of The Dallas Morning News. “I think you don’t see that chemistry that we had before. I mean, especially last year. I think that chemistry was at the top with everybody, but you know, chemistry builds and not right away, so it’s a long process.”
If the Mavericks want to maintain hopes of a playoff birth, they need to figure things out now. There’s no more time for experimentation, and unfortunately for Dallas, the timer on this season is about to run out.
