One of the subplots of the 2024 NBA Finals is how Dallas Mavericks star guard Kyrie Irving is facing one of his former teams in the Boston Celtics.
While teammate Luka Doncic has gotten his, Irving has had lots of trouble locating and hitting his shot, and he has posted an uncharacteristically low shooting efficiency in the first two games of this series.
Bill Simmons, a well-known Celtics homer, said Irving was “awful” in Game 2, per The Ringer.
“I don’t think the stats will tell the full story. I thought he was awful.”@BillSimmons and @ryenarussillo react to a rough Game 2 from Kyrie Irving.#NBAFinals pic.twitter.com/GVfxvpsq86
— The Ringer (@ringer) June 10, 2024
Irving shot just 7-of-18 and mustered only 16 points in Game 2, and he was even worse in Game 1 when he went 6-of-19 for 12 points and had just two assists.
Simmons also said the praise Irving had been getting going into the NBA Finals was “over the top.”
People were calling Irving and Luka Doncic perhaps the best backcourt in NBA history, but right now, the Mavericks look like a one-man team.
Boston has bottled up both men and made them run into multiple defenders whenever they have tried to get into the paint while not allowing them to make easy passes to a teammate to get out of trouble.
Doncic had a triple-double with 32 points, 11 rebounds, and 11 assists on Sunday, but he also committed eight turnovers.
One problem Dallas has had so far in this series is the lack of a third scorer, and it is a concern some had about them all along for months.
They have been held under 100 points in both Finals games so far, and they head home for the next two contests needing to find a way to get going offensively.
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Paul Pierce Says 1 Mavericks Star Has Been ‘Disappointing’ In NBA Finals