Charles Barkley spoke about the duo of Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving after the Mavericks beat the Timberwolves in Game 3. Barkley noted that it is virtually impossible to stop great offensive guards. He brought up examples like Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant and said that these players can only be limited and not stopped.
“As a guard, a Michael, a Kobe… You can’t stop great one-on-one players. Because you can make them take tough shots, they’re going to get the shots they want. Kyrie and Luka are going to get the shots they want… You can make them work hard, but they’re going to get a shot every time…”
"You can't stop great 1-on-1 players. … You can make them work hard, but they’re gonna get a shot every time.”
Chuck with high praise for Kyrie and Luka 🙌 pic.twitter.com/ZV12bymfWV
— NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) May 27, 2024
Barkley added that Doncic and Irving are two of the best closers in the NBA, and the Timberwolves need to reconsider how they defend them because it is an insurmountable task to try and stop them altogether.
“Those guys, they are probably the two best closers. They’re in the conversation in the NBA today, Steph is in that conversation… You’re going to have to think about it. Those guys are going to get a shot every single time.”
Doncic and Irving are perhaps two of the most dynamic offensive players in the NBA today. Their ability to go and get a basket on their own is almost second to none. As a result, opposing teams turn much of their defensive attention to one of them, which leaves the other relatively open to make a big shot or play.
Luka Doncic And Kyrie Irving: Who Will Become The Magic Johnson MVP?
Luka Doncic spoke after the game about the importance of Kyrie Irving, especially in the fourth quarter of tonight’s game. He mentioned that Irving’s reputation as one of the best fourth-quarter players in the league exists for a reason, and praised his presence on the team.
“Unbelievable. That’s why they call him, some people, Mr. 4th quarter, right? Just amazing. He scored, what, 33?… It’s amazing. He’s born for this situation. He [was] born for clutch situations. So we just give the ball to him.”
Doncic and Irving were spectacular tonight, scoring 33 points each as they secured a home win in the series. It was yet another big-game performance from both Luka and Kyrie, who have taken this series by the horns and delivered at every stage.
Luka and Kyrie are in contention to win the Magic Johnson Western Conference Finals MVP award should the Mavericks win the series. Doncic has averaged 32.7 points, 8.7 assists, and 7.7 rebounds in this series. Whereas Kyrie has put up 27.7 points, 4.7 assists, and 4.0 rebounds in the last three games. Either player can make a good case to win the accolade.
Both players will probably have that in the back of their minds, as the main priority is still to close out the series and reach the NBA Finals. For Irving, it would be his first time since 2017 playing in the finals, whereas it would be the first time ever for Doncic. The duo will be hungry to close out the series in Game 4 to get themselves as much rest as possible ahead of facing either the Celtics or the Pacers.
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