KYRIE IRVING MAKES APPLICATION AFTER HIGHLY INVESTED VIEW OVER CELTICS

Boston – playing on TD Garden for the past several years has not been friendly to Dallas Mavericks star Kyrie Irving.

Irving had not won at the venue since he famously raged Celtices fans when he stamped at Boston’s Lucky The Leprechaun logo on Mid-Court after a game in Game 4 in a first round of playoffs when he played for Brooklyn Nets.

But Irving’s luck finally changed on Thursday night in Boston.

The former Celtics guard led Mavericks to a 127-120 victory on the famous parquet as Irving tiled in 19 points on 7-for-17 shooting to go along with four assists. And the much -needed victory in a place where the fans love to torment him was not lost in Irving.

“Man, to be honest with you, I just tried to keep it as another game. But I would lie to you if I say I am not aware of the record I have in this building since 2020 or 2021, ”Irving told journalists, per. CLNS media. “It’s more of a motivating factor for me than anything else now because they are the best of the best. They are the masters of our league until another master is crowned. You will play your absolute best against them. “

It looked like Irving would wander again in TD Garden as he struggled to find his shooting touch in the first half. After hit the first two shots he tried, the 32-year-old guard missed seven equally.

But Irving found another way to influence the game as his shot did not fall. Irving came away with four steals in the game, three of which took place in the opening quarter. The defensive pressure helped mavericks to a 32-23 lead and they never looked back.

Irving stripped Jayson Tatum when Tatum tried to back him down early and also pick the pocket of Derrick White on a baseline drive to create Dallas’ transition game.

“He did a good job with it,” Celtic’s head coach Joe Mazzulla said about Irving’s theft. “He is an amazing player, both ends of the floor. He has quick hands. He has the ability to walk, time dribbles, and he did a good job with it in the first half. “

Irving found his shot in the second half, which helped Mavericks build a 27-point lead before Irving helped hold a demonstration of Boston’s reserves in the fourth quarter.

It ended up being the only win for Dallas on their four-game road trip. And it was also a meaningful victory for Irving, considering everything that has happened between him and Celtics.

“They will do everything they can to stop me,” Irving said. “I’ve said it in the past, but I want to feel and we both feel that they know my game well enough. Send a lot of double teams on me, a lot of different readings that they force me in, but it only makes me better. And I’m just grateful, man. This is what competitive basketball about, competitive sports. It continues to get better, go against the best of the best, come out with ‘w’ that does what it takes to win. ‘