Stephen A. Smith lambasted Kyrie Irving as the guard ended his first half with a paltry five points as the Boston Celtics flexed their domination on the hapless Dallas Mavericks in Game 5 of the NBA Finals. The hosts went in 67-48 at halftime, and Irving was one of the stars struggling to get going for Dallas offensively.
This had Smith questioning the former NBA champion’s efforts in the decisive matchup that has seen the pendulum swing in favor of the Celtics following their strong first half.
The ESPN analyst minced no words as Luka Doncic bore the brunt of the criticism as well:
“This is Game 5 of the NBA Finals… the best player for the Dallas Mavericks has been Josh Green off the bench… Luka is holding onto the ball too damn much, he’s disrupting their pace. Kyrie is just a no show… I don’t know what’s going on with him in Boston.”
Neither Doncic nor Irving have been as impactful as they were in Game 4 at home as they continue to struggle to keep the Mavericks in the game offensively. The latter had six assists to show for by the end of the break.
Kyrie Irving thanks fans for their support throughout the season
Minutes after the 106-88 loss in Game 5, Kyrie Irving took to X/Twitter to share a heartfelt message with his fans for their support:
“Tribe, stay together no matter what. Through the ups and downs, wins and losses, success and failure. Keep your head up high. This mission is bigger than us. I love you all!”
It was a miserable evening for Irving as he made just 15 points shooting 5-for-16 as the pesky Celtics defense stifled his shotmaking. Overall, he shot 18-for-53 combined in the three games he played at TD Garden.
The eight-time NBA All-Star was subbed out in the final minutes of the fourth quarter of the Mavericks’ 106-88 loss. Before he left the court, he made sure to congratulate several Celtics players and coaches on winning their 18th NBA championship, including Derrick White, Jrue Holiday and Joe Mazzulla.
The gesture comes as a solid show of sportsmanship despite the mercurial guard being heckled with chants of “F*** Kyrie” and “Kyrie sucks” throughout the series, especially in all three games played in Boston.
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