Dallas Mavericks guard Kyrie Irving has said his embrace with fellow leading points-scorer Luka Doncic at the end of their 147-136 comeback win over the Houston Rockets was a sign that the exhausted pair are “brothers”.
The Mavericks were 22 points behind at one stage in what would become their 14th win in 16 games and needed overtime – in which Irving added six points to his total of 48 – to see off the 11th-placed side in the Eastern Conference.
“As a competitor, you’re so emotional about this game,” said Irving. “It’s not really a game to us, when you’re out there putting blood, sweat and tears into it and being physical.
“We feel the fans, we feel the atmosphere, but when you’re out there and seeing your team-mates go to battle, it just does something to you. We were dog-tired after that buzzer went off, so an embrace is important after games like that, just to be able to touch your team-mates and make sure we all know the sacrifice is worth it.
“Not a lot of people can understand that because they’re not part of a team environment; they’re more individualised in their work environment. In a team sport, you can celebrate those moments as a team because you know what it took.”
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While Irving’s tally was a personal season high, Doncic contributed 37 points, nine rebounds and 12 assists and set up Dante Exum for a buzzer-beating three points to extend the encounter.
Doncic has averaged almost 31 points per game during the Mavericks’ last 16 games, with Irving averaging more than 26 as part of a run which has lifted their team from eighth to fifth.
I asked Luka Doncic how easy Kyrie Irving makes the game for him:
“He’s an amazing player. There’s nothing much more than that. Great guy, amazing player, and just helps everybody on the floor.” pic.twitter.com/5VlhMzFEZC
— Noah Weber (@noahweber00) April 8, 2024
Mavericks v Rockets: Doncic ‘tired’
“We were in that locker room at half-time looking at each other: ‘what are we going to do to get back into this game?'” said Irving. “No-one is in that huddle but us, the coaching staff and management.
“At the end of the game, Luka was like, ‘I’m tired, man.’ That’s why I just hugged him. He left it all out and did all he could.
“Everybody in this league is labouring in some sort of way as we head towards the play-offs. That was kind of again, one of those ‘in the moment’ type things for us as brothers to embrace each other.
“We know how hard we’ve worked and how much work it took to get to this point in the season.”
The Mavericks are on course to face the LA Clippers in the play-offs. They return to action at the 13th-placed Charlotte Hornets on Wednesday.
