Kyrie Irving absorbed the expected reception as an unwelcomed guest in Game 1 of the Celtics-Mavericks NBA Finals at TD Garden, and the 32-year-old failed to fulfill the role as Boston’s biggest enemy.
Celtics fans were locked in and ready after Boston’s 10-day-long break in preparation for Dallas, pouring the “Kyrie (expletive),” chants along with the night-long sprinkle of boos amid the 107-89 Celtics victory. Irving and the Mavericks knew what environment to expect, however, the unforeseen came from Irving’s 37-minute performance on the floor.
“We didn’t perform the way we would have wanted to tonight,” Irving told reporters, per league-provided transcript. “It starts with me just being able to get out there and get us settled. Got to take some accountability for just the communication, and just going out there and getting used to the way that the kind of environment was going to be. But I think my teammates did a great job of staying together, sticking to the game plan”
Irving was all smiles during Wednesday afternoon’s NBA Finals media day, tossing up trick shots left and right during team practice, but it was Boston’s defense with a trick up its sleeve for Uncle Drew. The eight-time All-Star was held to 12 points on 6-of-19 shooting, including 0-for-5 from 3-point territory, with three rebounds and three turnovers. Irving also finished a game-worst minus-19, giving the Celtics absolutely zero problems from start to finish.
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Once the fourth quarter rolled around, as the Celtics were rolling all over the Mavericks, Irving watched with a blank face from the Dallas bench:
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Irving, off to a slow start after a seven-year gap since his last trip to the Finals, isn’t thinking too deeply about Game 1.
“It’s basketball at the end of the day,” Irving explained. “You know, being in this environment, I’m used to it at this point. Early in my career, there was a different relationship that I had with Boston and just being able to come here, be settled with a veteran group. Now I’m here as a veteran, over the past few years, just experiencing the playoffs here, even regular season, it’s been the same thing.”
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The Celtics didn’t make it any easier for Dallas head coach Jason Kidd, and the much-anticipated return of Kristaps Porzingis played a huge factor. Porzingis caught the Mavericks off guard, literally and metaphorically, scoring 20 points coming off Boston’s bench on 8-of-13 shooting while collecting three blocks on the other side of the floor.
The pressure, which presumably sat on the shoulders of Jayson Tatum, quickly piled on Dallas and its ineffective game plan. Watching the Celtics increase and protect their lead throughout the night left the Mavericks scratching their heads in search of an answer that never came.
It even prolonged an impressively bad stretch of history Irving carried into the building he once called home.
Boston extended its now-11-game winning streak when facing Irving, a streak three seasons into the making.
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“It’s not the first time I’ve lost in Boston,” Irving said. “I don’t want to continue to make it a habit but they’ve had a few games over me and they have our number — not our number, I don’t want to say our number but the past few teams I’ve been on, they have had my number a little bit. You have to give credit to a good team. They have been good the past three or four years.”
Featured image via David Butler II/USA TODAY Sports Images
