Kyrie Irving Embraces 'Different' Role in Dallas Mavericks' Game 2 Win Over OKC Thunder

Instead of scoring a high volume of points, Kyrie Irving helped the Dallas Mavericks to achieve a Game 2 victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder playing a different role.

May 9, 2024; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2) / Alonzo Adams-USA TODAY Sports

DALLAS — In a crucial Game 2 victory against the Oklahoma City Thunder, Dallas Mavericks superstar Kyrie Irving embraced a different role. He finished with nine points but dished out 11 assists to help his team secure a 119-110 win. Irving's all-around impact was instrumental in the Mavericks' win despite not being his usual scoring self.

Mavericks coach Jason Kidd praised the team's unselfish approach while also explaining how the team intentionally featuerd P.J. Washington early in the post to give the Thunder a different look. Doing so helped ignite a hot shooting performance overall for Washington, who scored 29 points with seven made 3-pointers.

"We played through him a little bit in the post, and then I think that sparked him. He was big for us tonight, but I thought we didn't go to Luke or Kyrie early," Kidd said of Washington. "We just played—let the ball find them. We were going to other guys and I thought that the ball was moving. Guys were moving. We were unselfish and guys were making shots."

May 9, 2024; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2) / Alonzo Adams-USA TODAY Sports

With Luka Doncic scoring 29 points, like Washington, Irving read the game and felt what was needed from him to help achieve a victory was not scoring. He focused on continuing to play within the flow of the offense while doing all of the little things on both ends.

"Just win the basketball game, but also aside from that, just the way we started, everybody getting involved, it's not my time to press," Irving said. "It's my time to do other things in order to make a successful and that's just part of being a champion is just continuing to push forward."

Irving emphasized the importance of staying focused on the task, regardless of individual scoring performances, even if someone isn't getting the shots they ideally would like to get in the game.

"No matter what shots you're getting, it's just staying focused on the task at hand," Irving said. "Everybody's shooting well around me. Everybody's getting great looks. I'm not necessarily getting the looks I want, but it's no time to sulk or no time to have hard feelings."

Often dishing the ball to bigs in the paint and finding open shooters, Irving frequently accepted the coverage the Thunder deployed to leverage it to his team's advantage.

"It just puts the emphasis more on doing other little things in order to get us this win," Irving said. "So, 11 assists feels good, but I was just playing another role that I'm capable of playing and just being out there on the defensive end and we're trying to make it hard on them."

Doncic emphasized Irving's all-around impact, particularly his defensive contributions throughout the postseason. He took on the challenge of guarding James Harden head-to-head to help change the series before eliminating the LA Clippers and has continued to defend well against Oklahoma City.

"He can do everything on the floor, and we should talk about his defense. He's been playing amazing defense this whole playoffs," Irving said. "I know a lot of guys won't talk about it. He's been amazing on both sides, helping everybody. It's amazing to have him on our team and to learn from him a lot."

The Mavericks' ball movement was key in Game 2, with Doncic emphasizing the value of countering the Thunder's double teams, particularly by involving the big when there was an advantage.

"We were sharing the ball. We saw some more hits coming and double team, and when we see that we see them all regular season, so we're kind of used to it," Doncic said. "We just hit the big and then play out of it. We got a lot of space, and we have some good players."

Kidd also praised Irving's defense despite not being a player who tends to get praised for his contributions in that area given his usual offensive prowess.

"This guy has been great throughout this playoff run," Kidd said. "His defense, though he's not typically labeled a defender, has been at a high level lately. He's taking on the challenge. Tonight, he not only set the table offensively for many players but also demonstrated excellent defense, which we'll need as we move forward."

Even Thunder coach Mark Daigneault praised Irving's instincts at making plays on the ball provide significant value to the Mavericks' defense. With how he's executing in the postseason, Irving manages to recover and pry the ball loose at times when the opposition perceives an advantage,

“He’s so handsy. He’s got great hands; it’s such a pain. He’s just got a great knack for that," Daigneault said. "You feel like he’s out of a play, and he just gets the ball. It’s a pain because it’s hard enough to get a crack and get by somebody, and when you finally get an advantage and then he makes something out of nothing with those plays, it’s tough. He’s really competed on that end of the floor. High respect for how he’s competing right now.”

The Mavericks' win tied the series at 1-1, and they will host Game 3 on Saturday at American Airlines Center.

READ MORE: Mavericks Respond with Hard-Fought Game 2 Victory Over Thunder, Tie Series 1-1

READ MORE: P.J. Washington Steps Up as Mavericks Take Game 2 Against Thunder

READ MORE: Kyrie Irving Predicts Luka Doncic to Win MVP 'Very Soon'