Kyrie Irving tried to do everything he could to lead the Dallas Mavericks to a strong win on the road against the Memphis Grizzlies without Luka Doncic.
Sadly, Irving failed to win the game after a dismal fourth quarter where he went scoreless and missed 8 shots. Fans were quick to roast Irving for his performance in the clutch.
Kyrie went 0-8 in the 4th quarter tonight đł pic.twitter.com/S70qGrPgLq
— Legion Hoops (@LegionHoops) March 21, 2023
One fan blamed Dwight Powell for getting Kyrie hurt, “Blame Powell for sticking his ass out and getting Kyrie hurt in the late 3rd.”
https://twitter.com/seanell08446183/status/1638005131449868288
A Mavs fan mocked Irving as well, “We got Walmart Kyrie.”
https://twitter.com/whristan/status/1638005120800571392
One fan used a hilarious video to mock Kyrie’s clutch scoring.
Kyrie Irving in the clutch đđ pic.twitter.com/CZgge4Nf5I
— âď¸ (@klutchagent) March 21, 2023
Another fan believed Dillon Brooks didn’t play a big part in the fourth quarter struggles, “Bro just couldnât hit his shot. It wasnât all Dillion Brooks.”
bro just couldnât hit his shot. it wasnât all dillion brooks
— gadiel (@gadielr1) March 21, 2023
Another fan blamed Brooks for his foot injury, “Dillon Brooks destroyed his foot before it, mention that.”
Dillon Brooks destroyed his foot before it, mention that
— Ray âď¸ (@CaughtByCeeDee) March 21, 2023
One more fan objected to Brooks being featured given he wasn’t the primary defender on Kyrie in the fourth quarter, “Why yâall showing brooks. He didnât even guard him.”
Why yâall showing brooks. He didnât even guard him
— chi (@Chiran77LD) March 21, 2023
Another fan claimed Kyrie has never been clutch and was carried by LeBron James, “The most overrated clutch player ever. Without LeBron, he wouldnât get the hype he gets now.”
Most overrated clutch player ever, without LeBron he wouldnât get the hype he gets now
— (đڧ) (@LeNbaYb) March 21, 2023
Kyrie suffered a foot injury after Dillon Brooks stepped on his heel in the third quarter. He was seen in a walking boot after the game so it’s plausible to say that the injury restricted him. Even then, Irving missed some easy shots and couldn’t get the game back under his control as Dallas lost 108-112.
Irving had 28 points on the night, all scored in the first 3 quarters. Rookie Jaden Hardy contributed 20 points off the bench alongside Christian Wood. The Grizz were led by Jaren Jackson Jr. scoring 28 on the night, including a clutch bucket at the end that sealed the game for Memphis.
Does Kyrie Irving Get A Pass for This Performance?
Irving started the game looking like he was going to put up massive numbers, regularly beating Brooks and trash-talking him during the first half. The injury really took him out of the flow of the game and caused him to struggle. Despite that, going 0-8 is not justifiable. If the situation is that bad, maybe Jason Kidd was better off removing Kyrie from the game and giving the keys to either Josh Green or Jaden Hardy.
This was yet another loss on the season where Dallas has blown a massive lead. Every game with the Mavs ends up being close at the end of the fourth quarter because they either made a double-digit comeback or blew a double-digit lead. These are issues that are rectified by strong coaching but the Mavs have been struggling on that front as well.
Irving’s status for the Mavericks’ game on Wednesday against the Golden State Warriors is unclear. Hopefully, the team will have Luka Doncic return from a 5-game injury absence if Irving is not available.
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