Duke Basketball Duo Musters More Mojo for Dangerous Mavericks

An NBA Finals showdown featuring three uniquely brilliant Duke basketball one-and-dones is now only four wins away.

Matt Giles | May 25, 2024

Former Duke basketball guard Kyrie Irving / Brad Rempel-USA TODAY Sports

In this story:

Duke Blue Devils

In the Eastern Conference Finals, premier Duke basketball product Jayson Tatum and the Boston Celtics have maintained homecourt advantage with a 2-0 lead over the visiting Indiana Pacers.

And as of the Dallas Mavericks' 109-108 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Friday night to start 2-0 out West as the series heads to Dallas, NBA Blue Devils Kyrie Irving and Dereck Lively II are starting to look fated to help fuel an exceptional Mavericks run to the Finals.

Although Luka Doncic is the more consistent star of the show for the Mavericks, Irving appears completely on board as a complementary showman and clutch bucket-finder. Meanwhile, Lively, whose mother, Kathy Drysdale, died of cancer on April 12, is budding as an inspiring young force to be reckoned with down low.

After a quiet start to his night on Friday, Irving delivered 13 points in the fourth quarter, finishing with 20 points, four rebounds, six assists, and one steal across 39 minutes on the floor.

Luka's game-winner.
Kyrie's 13 4Q points.

The Mavs duo pull out the CLUTCH win to take a 2-0 series lead in the West Finals 💪 pic.twitter.com/obrJejflMX
— NBA (@NBA) May 25, 2024

Lively, who has been coming off the bench for months but now routinely earns more minutes than starting center Daniel Gafford, again drew high praise from Doncic, not to mention head coach Jason Kidd, Irving, and other Mavericks:

Luka Doncic on Dereck Lively: “He’s been amazing this season and playoffs. He took not one, not two, three steps forward. He’s a rookie. I think people still forget this sometimes. He’s doing this in the Western Conference Finals, which is insane. His ceiling is gonna be huge.” pic.twitter.com/CuYBz1I2eN
— Michael Scotto (@MikeAScotto) May 25, 2024

The 7-foot-1 Lively, a late lottery pick last summer and still almost nine months away from his 21st birthday, had what one could refer to as a pretty much perfect stat line in his 27 minutes of action on Friday night: 14 points, nine rebounds, two assists, zero turnovers, 6-for-6 from the field, and 2-for-2 at the foul line.

There's no doubt the Irving-Lively connection in big-time moments is only growing stronger:

😈➡️😈👀🤯 @KyrieIrving @DereckLively pic.twitter.com/RD83bD9Oee
— Duke Men’s Basketball (@DukeMBB) May 25, 2024

Kyrie Irving, Dereck Lively, and the Doncic-mania Mavericks host the Timberwolves — Minnesota's lone Duke basketball alum, Wendell Moore Jr., is a deep reserve and has yet to receive any minutes in the series — in Game 3 at 8 p.m. ET Sunday.

Jayson Tatum and the Celtics are in Indiana for their Game 3 battle at 8:30 p.m. Saturday.

Published May 25, 2024|Modified May 25, 2024

MATT GILES

Matt Giles is the editor and publisher of Duke Blue Devils on SI, North Carolina Tar Heels on SI, and NC State Wolfpack on SI, making him a key source for comprehensive coverage of these storied college basketball programs. Since joining SI in 2022, Matt has been dedicated to providing in-depth analysis, breaking news, and exclusive content on all three teams. He covers everything from game previews and recaps to player profiles and recruiting updates. Matt's expert knowledge of these teams has made his work a go-to resource for fans and followers of Duke, NC State, and UNC. As publisher, he shapes the editorial direction, ensuring that the most relevant and timely information reaches his audience.