Getty Tim Hardaway Jr. and Kyrie Irving of the Dallas mavericks.
It’s been a bumpy road for the Dallas Mavericks over the past couple of weeks. Since trading for Kyrie Irving at this year’s trade deadline, not everything has gone smoothly, but it seems as though they are finally beginning to figure things out with him on the court.
Dallas picked up a win on Tuesday night over the Utah Jazz, bringing their record to 34-32 on the season. After the game, Tim Hardaway Jr. was asked about what it’s like to play with Irving, and he had high praise for what the point guard has been able to do on the floor.
“It’s great. It’s great. He gives us confidence,” Hardaway Jr. said via the Fanatics View YouTube channel. “Not only myself, but all [the] other guys out there on the floor with him [get] confidence. Especially when we’re getting stops, to push the break, he’s running on the other side. But he gives us [the] opportunity to explore, like I said, at the beginning of the shot clock. And if we don’t have anything, then get into the offense and play with that same pace with we’ve been playing [with] since he got here.”
Hardaway Jr. put up some solid numbers for the Mavericks in their win over Utah. The veteran wing dropped 24 points, four rebounds, four assists, and two steals off the bench on 8-of-12 shooting from the field and 7-of-9 shooting from behind the three-point line.
Meanwhile, Irving was just as dominant in the starting lineup, helping propel the Mavericks to victory. He finished the night with 33 points, six rebounds, eight assists, and two steals on 10-of-18 shooting overall and 3-of-7 shooting from beyond the three-point arc.
Kyrie Irving Sounds Off on Mavericks Title Hopes
Last season, the Mavericks made an impressive run to the Western Conference Finals. And while their team looks a bit different this season, they still have Luka Doncic, and now Irving is on board as well.
After their win over the Jazz, Irving spoke about the team’s championship hopes, mentioning that he believes they’re close to that point.
“It’s coming together fast,” Irving said of Dallas’ team chemistry via ESPN. “And to be honest with you, I think our championship aspirations are really close. But honestly, we’ve got to take it one day at a time.”
Tim Hardaway Jr. Discusses Mavericks Role
While Hardaway Jr. is happy to be playing with a player as great as Irving, he also recently spoke about how his role has changed since the star guard joined the team.
“You’re not going to get that many plays run for you when you play with All-Stars and those type of caliber of guys. So you got to find ways to get yourself involved in the game, whether it’s rebounding, taking a charge, coming off a pick and roll, or get yourself a throw-ahead pass early in the shot clock, try to attack and make something happen,” Hardaway Jr. told Sports Illustrated’s Grant Afseth after Dallas’ recent loss to the Phoenix Suns. “That’s just what I’ve been trying to do these last couple games, and I think it’s been working out great for us, not only myself but for C Wood [Christian Wood] and a lot of guys.”