The Dallas Mavericks will have a tough time containing the Boston Celtics in the NBA Finals. Everyone and their mother has laid out the reasons why the team are tipped to win their 18th championship banner, and Jayson Tatum is using his experience in his first Finals appearance to lead his team to the championship.
However, one player in the Dallas roster has experienced playing in the NBA Finals. Kyrie Irving made multiple Finals trips as LeBron James’ costar in the Cleveland Cavaliers, and he’s fully aware of how even the smallest things can make a huge impact on the team’s postseason hopes.
One of the biggest issues Irving will face in this series is how Boston’s home crowd will treat him. It’s an open secret that Uncle Drew didn’t have the best time in New England, and he can count on the fans to make it as hostile an environment as possible.
However, he already has a straightforward plan to prevent the TD Garden crowd from affecting his game.
Kyrie Irving will focus on helping the Dallas Mavericks win Game 1 vs Boston
Since Irving played two seasons in Boston, he’s familiar with how aggressive the home crowd can be at times. He knows that he cannot simply shut them up with his play.
This knowledge is why Irving will simply focus on things he can control and block out all the noise.
“You just got to breathe through it,” Irving told reporters, via the New York Post. “To all my youngins out there that are dealing with some of the crowd reactions, what they’re saying to you, you have to breathe. Realize that is not as hostile as you think it is. Don’t overthink it.”
“There’s no fear out here, man. It’s basketball,” he continued. “The fans are going to say what they’re going to say. I appreciate them and their relationship they have to the game. But it’s about the players at the end of the day.”
Irving has been an effective sidekick to Luka this postseason. He’s averaging 22.8 points, 3.9 rebounds, and 5.2 assists through 17 playoff games.
The Dallas Mavericks can count on Kai to keep on bringing high-quality performances throughout the series. Hopefully, he and Doncic will be able to overwhelm a strong Boston roster and bring the Larry O’Brien trophy back to Dallas.
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