'It's a Team Game!' Kyrie Irving Speaks Out on 'Me & Luka Doncic,' Mavs Pressure & 'Pointing Fingers'
DALLAS - With eight games remaining in the regular season, the Dallas Mavericks face an uphill climb.
With their 117-108 loss to the Charlotte Hornets on Friday, the Mavs fell from the No. 9 seed in the Western Conference to existing on the outside looking in as the No. 11 seed.
Following the failure, Kyrie Irving spoke on where the Mavericks stand and the pressure that exists for him and Luka Doncic.
"I expect to win every ballgame I play. That is the attitude I have," Irving said. "But the reality is what it is. We are 3-7 (when Doncic and Irving play together). But ... as much as people want to put it on me and Luka, it is a team basketball game."
Since Irving's arrival, the transition has not been easy. Along with adding a superstar player in Irving, injuries have hindered Dallas' chances to build chemistry and climb up the Western standings.
But, as Irving said, when you have two superstars like Doncic and Irving on the same team, the pressure will be on their shoulders. ... and at the same time, to raise that Larry O'Brien Trophy, it's on the collective.
"We talk about that in the locker room. Everyone likes to point the finger at what we are doing, but it is a team game," Irving said. "I feel like when we focus on our team aspect, we get clear answers. But when we focus on two guys and what their numbers are and whether we can play better, it limits all the other guys and their capabilities.
"I believe in each one of those guys."
But, no matter what adversity stands in Dallas' way, whether it's injuries or the lack of continuity, Irving knows they 'have to get ready' if they want a chance at the postseason.
"I haven’t necessarily been as healthy as I would have liked, and other guys haven’t been as healthy, including Luka,'' he said. "But ... there is no time for excuses, we just have to get ready.”
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