Dallas — Game 6 of the Dallas Mavericks’ Western Conference Semifinals series against the Oklahoma City Thunder ended with a tight 117-116 victory. Throughout the series, Oklahoma City challenged Dallas, necessitating total teamwork. Even after Kyrie Irving was acquired by the Mavs, several doubters expressed their doubts about Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving’s ability to lead a club to the Western Conference Finals.
At first, ESPN rated the move a “D,” while other doubters questioned Irving’s compatibility with Doncic. During the 2022–23 season, the Mavs were not in the postseason. However, they are only eight wins away from a championship in 2023–2024.
Following Saturday’s game, Doncic and Irving could only giggle when questioned about the prior ESPN assessment. Doncic then addressed the skeptics with a statement.
Doncic remarked, “I don’t think we care; we enjoy playing with each other.” “It’s fun to play with this group. What other people think doesn’t actually matter to us.
With a triple-double performance that included 10 rebounds, 10 assists, and 29 points, Luka led Dallas. Derrick Jones Jr. and Kyrie Irving both contributed 22 points. With twelve points and fifteen rebounds, Dereck Lively II recorded a double-double.
To secure a spot in the Western Conference Finals was a huge win for Dallas. It gave Irving and Doncic the chance to silence the skeptics as well.
Doncic and Irving take pleasure in playing together. No, it’s not limited to game times. During shoot-arounds and practice, they are frequently spotted grinning and joking with one another. In reality, at the Mavs’ shoot-around on Saturday prior to Game 6, there was an instance of that.
After the win, Luka and Kyrie talked about playing together.
Doncic praised Irving, saying, “Big time man, when he came, nothing but support for everything I did.” “Every action we took. simply gave me a lot of maturity. Acquire the ability to view the game differently. Of course, playing with a guy like him is fantastic. Simply go outside and have fun. He’s been an incredible leader for all of us, not just for me. Consistently optimistic outlook
Irving of Doncic remarked, “I just think this guy next to me has pushed me to continue to work on my game.” “Keep growing as a young leader. I was battling with a lot when I moved to Dallas—emotionally, spiritually, and mentally. They gave me a warm embrace. I didn’t have an ideal voyage to this place, and I wasn’t sure how our time on the court would go. However, I was confident that I could open him up off the court. What a huge teddy bear this guy is. A competitive teddy bear, that’s what I’ll say.
With Kyrie Irving and Luka Doncic leading the way, the Mavericks should make for a fascinating team to watch in the future.
The Western Conference Finals opponent for the Mavericks is still up in the air. On Sunday, the Denver Nuggets will play Game 7 of their Western Conference Semifinals series against the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Minnesota is ranked third, and Denver is ranked second. Dallas has already defeated the No. 1 and No. 4 seeds in the 2024 NBA playoffs, so the Mavs will be confident no matter whatever team they play.
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