Dallas Mavs' Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving Duo Faces Full Circle Moment in Sacramento

Mavs superstars Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving are reaping the rewards of patience as a duo.

Feb 22, 2024; Dallas, Texas, USA; Dallas Mavericks guard Kyrie Irving (11) celebrates with Dallas / Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports

SACRAMENTO — When the Dallas Mavericks traded for Kyrie Irving last season, the team envisioned having a masterful guard to take pressure off Luka Doncic and provide a veteran leadership presence. With the right supporting cast around two superstars, the potential would be significant when the chemistry is there. The first look at the partnership occurred in Sacramento in a 133-128 overtime loss in February last year.

After defeating the Kings with a final score of 107-104 on Friday, the Mavs swept a two-game mini-series amid a race to avoid the play-in tournament. Kyrie Irving scored 14 of his 30 points in the fourth quarter, while Doncic contributed 26 points, 12 assists, and nine rebounds. Dallas has won 10 of its last 11 games, emerging as a real threat in the Western Conference. It starkly contrasts the situation the Mavs faced a year ago, providing a full-circle moment for both players.

“We got two of the best in the world. Not just to be shot makers but to create shots for others. Two great quarterbacks, they’re very unselfish, they understand the moment and time and what needs to be done," Mavs coach Jason Kidd said of Doncic and Irving. "Understanding, I think Kai really got us going there controlling the game offensively. Luka being able to play off of that.

"Again, their chemistry with the two of them is at a very high level right now," Kidd explained. "And we’re happy to have both of them on our team."

Feb 22, 2024; Dallas, Texas, USA; Dallas Mavericks guard Kyrie Irving (11) celebrates with Dallas / Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports

Last season, the Mavs struggled to put teams away and execute in the clutch due to a lack of defensive impact. Additionally, there was a natural need to learn tendencies and abilities, resulting in shortcomings in big moments due to that uncertainty. There was added pressure throughout the process, with Irving being set to enter free agency after Dallas had traded for him. Coming off a Western Conference Finals appearance, the expectations were raised before Dallas was fined $750,000 for conduct detrimental to the league by violating the player resting policy to tank the season's final two games.

Fast-forward to today, Irving is signed to a three-year, $120 million contract, and the Mavs hold a 44-29 record, ranking sixth in the Western Conference. Doncic remains in the MVP conversation, and Irving has played 24 consecutive games since dealing with injuries earlier this season, marking his longest streak of games played since 2016.

The Mavs have been the NBA's most successful team in clutch situations, with a .724 winning percentage in such games. With Irving, the Mavs continue to hunt mismatches for Doncic to frequently play out of drawing throughout a typical game flow, while Irving finds opportunities to attack on the break. When the game slows down, Dallas has played more out of the two-man game with Doncic and Irving, often forcing the opposition to make complex switching determinations. There is a much greater synergy between the two and the offense while having a much more capable defensive unit to get stops.

After having a training camp together and the regular season to gain reps, Doncic acknowledged how his tandem with Irving has come "a long, long way," as has the rest of the team. The Slovenian superstar is happy with his situation and feels Irving shares the same sentiment as they work together to guide a "special" team.

“A long, long way. This training camp, we got some practices in together. It’s been easier for us to function better," Doncic said. "I think it shows, especially now. I think we’re both happy and we’re both doing some good things on the floor, and we have great teammates. So I think this team is special.”

Beyond clutch situations, Doncic has taken measures to adapt to thrive alongside Irving, starting with maximizing his conditioning to play faster and fine-tuning his catch-and-shoot jumper to thrive when playing off the ball. With Dallas also adding athletic wings and bigs, Doncic's throw-ahead passing talent has further unlocked the team's current style, all while Irving remains a lethal threat pushing on the break. Dallas went from ranking 29th in pace and typically being a slow-it-down team to having a top-10 pace at this point of the season.

“I think we’re different because of the conditioning that we’re in. I think we’ve been improving it over the last few games and then just also our depth," Irving said. "That’s been crucial for us. And then our resolve after the shots don’t go in. What does the next play look like, especially on the defensive end."

Dallas has reached its intended heights since drafting Dereck Lively II and signing Dante Exum and Derrick Jones Jr. in the offseason. Taking it a step further, the front office made necessary upgrades to bolster the supporting cast around Doncic and Irving, including trades to acquire P.J. Washington and Daniel Gafford before the midseason deadline. Much like it taking the Mavs' duo to take time to build chemistry, the defense has seemingly begun to find its form. Dallas has produced a 106.8 defensive rating over the last 11 games since giving up 137 points against the Indiana Pacers in a home loss, trailing only the New York Knicks (103.2) and Miami Heat (106.1) during this span.

“Just playing great team basketball. We made some moves at the trade deadline. I think our defense is getting better and better every game," Doncic said. "We’re just having fun out there. Today was a rough game for us. But to win back to back games in Sac, it’s difficult. I think we did a great job with that.”

The Mavs have played some of the NBA's best basketball since Irving returned from a right thumb sprain on February 5 during a team when pressure was mounting to rack up wins to avoid another disappointing finish to the season. Dallas has responded to the pressure by going 18-6 over the last 24 games, with one of those losses occurring on the road against the Oklahoma City Thunder with Doncic sidelined due to a hamstring injury. During this span, the Mavs have achieved an impressive 120.3 offensive rating, a 109.0 defensive rating, and an 11.3 net rating in the 620 minutes the superstar backcourt has shared the floor.

"I'm lucky, fortunate enough to have one of the best to ever play the game, and Luka with me," Irving said. "And that's not just saying it because he's here, but I'm not going to gas you up, bro, you are. We push each other every single day."

Against a team like the Kings in a high stakes set of matchups, the opportunity to focus on details and being able to rise to the occasion served as a strong indication of where the Mavs are as a team right now. With the ability to lean on an improved defense, Irving appreciates how his team took care of business.

"We’re just paying attention to those details and how we can control the controllables," Irving said. "Teams are going to make shots and miss shots, but if we’re the team that’s not making shots then we have to be able to lean on our defense a little bit more to stay in the game. I felt like we did a great job of that tonight.”

The Mavs' next challenge will feature a matchup against the Houston Rockets at Toyota Center, continuing a five-game Western Conference road trip. Both teams are on the NBA's longest active winning streaks, with Dallas having won six straight while the Rockets have achieved 11 straight victories.