Mavericks' Kyrie Irving, Jason Kidd react to hard-fought Game 2 victory over Clippers

24/04/2024 15:59

The Dallas Mavericks defeated the Los Angeles Clippers by a final score of 96-93 on Tuesday in Game 2 of their playoff series. It was a hard-fought affair, with both teams going back-and-forth throughout. Luka Doncic enjoyed an excellent game from an offensive standpoint and stepped up on the defensive end as well. Meanwhile, Kyrie Irving also played well on both sides of the ball and helped lead Dallas.

Irving knows what it takes to win a championship, having done so with the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2016. He addressed the Mavericks’ resiliency in such a competitive affair following the Game 2 victory, via Bally Sports Southwest.

“Just staying poised, understanding that mistakes are going to happen,” Irving said. “It’s a playoff game, it’s going to be a low scoring game most times. Just gotta be able to have that resiliency and keep battling until the end.”

Dallas unquestionably battled until the end. The Clippers would not back down even after the Mavericks went on a 9-0 run in the fourth quarter at one point.

Kyrie led the Mavs with three steals. He played aggressive defense all game which helped spark an all-around strong defensive performance. Luka Doncic also played well, limiting Kawhi Leonard and James Harden to only three combined points while guarding each player, via Tim MacMahon of ESPN.

Mavs head coach Jason Kidd referred to the game as “90’s basketball.”

“Both teams were under 100,” Kidd said. “It was 90’s basketball at its best.”

Mavericks making noise

The Mavs played well for the most part on Tuesday. They would obviously loved to have scored more, but Dallas was much more efficient from an offensive standpoint as compared to Game 1. And again, their defense played a pivotal role.

The Mavericks’ primary focus is on winning their first round series against the Clippers right now. Brian Windhorst of ESPN believes the Mavericks are the biggest threat to the Denver Nuggets in the Western Conference, who currently lead the Los Angeles Lakers 2-0 in their series.

“I think it’s Dallas,” Windhorst responded to who he thinks the biggest threat to the Nuggets is in the West. “Because of the maturity of Luka Doncic, I mean, this was probably the best defensive game he’s played in his career. The Clippers shot 2-17, I’m going to say this again, the Clippers shot 2-17 with Luka as the primary defender… He’s getting it done at both ends. Plus, the Clippers were throwing double-teams at him, he just handled it… This is a warning sign for the rest of the league that he’s developing like this.”

Irving’s veteran leadership and Doncic’s rising star-power give the Mavericks two players they can rely upon. Of course, the Mavs entire roster is capable of making an impact. PJ Washington, Derrick Jones Jr., and Dereck Lively II all contributed to the victory on Tuesday.

Perhaps the Mavericks are the biggest threat to the Nuggets, but that does not mean the Clippers will back down. The series is currently tied at 1-1 and Los Angeles will do everything they can to upset the Mavs in Dallas over these next two games. However, the Mavs have now captured momentum, and Dallas fans will be ready for the third and fourth games of the series.

The post Mavericks’ Kyrie Irving, Jason Kidd react to hard-fought Game 2 victory over Clippers appeared first on ClutchPoints.