BOSTON — Where is Kyrie Irving?
You all know who I’m talking about: the man who made the biggest shot in NBA Finals history, the best-handling guard in the history of the league, and the guy who scored 30 or more points six times in these playoffs alone.
Irving disappeared again, Houdini-like, under July Holiday’s suffocating cloak in Sunday’s Game 2. The Mavericks lacked the playmakers their opponents did, leaving Luka Doncic to navigate a 105-98 loss to the Celtics on his own: Doncic and Irving.
that’s it.
So if Irving has an inefficient performance like he did Sunday, scoring 16 points — after he only managed 12 in the Game 1 loss — Dallas loses. It’s a simple equation: Irving struggles = Celtics win.
It didn’t matter that Doncic had a 32-point triple-double. It didn’t matter that Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown weren’t all that dominant. The Celtics have five scorers, the deepest in the league. The Mavericks have two scorers, one of whom, Irving, shot 13-of-37 in the NBA Finals.
“My shots were hitting the buckle a lot. As a competitor, it can be annoying, but it’s part of the game of basketball,” Irving said, before adding, “I’m a little disappointed in myself for not taking more chances in the lane. Obviously, I’m going to be up against Jrue Holiday and Jaylen Brown a few times, but I feel like I have the advantage in the possessions that I have to make. They’re going to push me a little bit to my left. I’ve got to be careful with their adjustments, like I did in Game 1. … I’ve got to play better offensively.”
Irving has lost 12 straight games to the Celtics, and karma lovers are looking at his stomping on TD Garden’s Lucky Leprechaun logo as a turning point in 2021.
It’s a great conspiracy theory — Irving’s favorite one — but his real problem in the NBA Finals is Holiday. The Celtics guard is the NBA’s most underrated player, which is quite a title considering he’s a two-time All-Star and a two-time selection to the U.S. Olympic team.
Holiday’s lack of flamboyance and quiet personality are often underestimated. The Bucks traded Holiday for Dame Lillard to appease Giannis Antetokounmpo, but they clearly didn’t realize what they had. How would that have gone for Milwaukee? Antetokounmpo signed a contract extension, but I wouldn’t be surprised if he forced his way out before it expired.
Meanwhile, Holiday is two wins away from his second NBA title in four years, dominating Irving in Games 1 and 2. Holiday scored 26 points, 10 more than Irving, despite taking four fewer shots.
“I’m a utility guy,” Holiday said, “I’ll do anything. I’m here to win. I feel like they brought me here to win, and I’m going to do my best to win.”
Other storylines heading into Game 2, particularly Jason Kidd’s heading game, fell into distant by-ways.
On Saturday, the Mavs coach stated twice that Jaylen Brown is Boston’s best player, an interesting statement considering Jayson Tatum also wears the same uniform.
The Tatum vs. Brown debate has a long history, with the underlying theme being that each’s legacy would be better without the other. Kidd capitalized on that.
The tactic worked, but it also didn’t help matters. Tatum, known for missing big moments, finished with 18 points and 12 assists but missed 16 of 22 shots. Brown was sparse offensively, making just 15 shots. It was solid, but not spectacular.
But again, it didn’t matter, as the Celtics got great play from Holiday, a strong performance from Derrick White and an impact from Kristaps Porzingis.
The Mavericks don’t have that alternative, especially without Tim Hardaway Jr., who was healthy and recorded a DNP on Sunday.
Irving will need to be better as the series moves to Dallas.
“Now I’m going to go home, calm down a bit and prepare for my next fight,” he said.
