Kyrie Irving overcame the struggles he faced in Games 1 and 2 of the NBA Finals with a 35-point outburst in Game 3, but the Mavericks fell to a 99-106 loss. The Celtics now enjoy a 3-0 series lead in the Finals, but Kyrie is ready to bring out every weapon in his arsenal to make sure the Mavs become the first team to complete a 0-3 series comeback.
“Go home, get the ammo ready, get the bazooka, get the 50 cal ready, you know get everything ready cause when we come into Game 4 we know that we got to shoot our shots and we got to do it with an aggression.”
Kyrie Irving on his mindset going into Game 4 being down 0-3:
“Go home, get the ammo ready, get the bazooka, get the 50 cal ready, you know get everything ready cause when we come into Game 4 we know that we got to shoot our shots and we got to do it with an aggression.” pic.twitter.com/cBzPFnytRA
— Noah Weber (@noahweber00) June 13, 2024
Luka Doncic echoed a similar sentiment after the game as well, saying that the series isn’t over until the Celtics have sealed their fourth win.
“Like I said, it’s not over till it’s over. We just got to believe. Like I always say, it’s first to four. We’re going to stay together. We lose together, we win together. So we got to stay together.”
Irving’s 35 points have greatly boosted his Finals average to 21.0 points, 2.7 rebounds, and 3.3 assists this series. While he definitely hurt the team with his poor performances on the road, he did his best tonight.
The Mavericks lost due to their poor execution as a team, with Doncic not being able to carry them to a win because he fouled out in the fourth quarter in a night highlighted with blow-bys and complaining to officials.
The Celtics are also hammering home the point that they’ve been a cut above the rest of the NBA all season long, and their treatment of the Mavericks has confirmed that to the millions who still doubted them.
Kyrie Irving Reminds Us Of Kevin Garnett
Kyrie Irving’s comments about bringing a bazooka or a .50 caliber rifle are reminiscent of another NBA legend. Kevin Garnett had given an iconic interview ahead of a Game 7 in 2004 against the Sacramento Kings, listing out all the weapons he would be bringing to the series-clincher because he was ready for war.
“Game 7, man. This is it. This is all the marbles. I’m sitting in the house, I’m loadin’ up the pump. I’m loadin’ up the Uzi, I got a couple M-16s, couple nines, got a couple joints with some silencers on ’em, I’m just loadin’ up clips. Got a couple grenades, couple missile launchers, with, you know, a couple missiles. I’m ready for war.”
What Irving said isn’t dissimilar, although the circumstances are entirely different. Garnett was in a second-round Game 7 whereas Irving is hoping to avoid a sweep in the NBA Finals.
After dropping this quote, Garnett lived up to his promise and dropped 32 points, 21 rebounds, five blocks, and four steals to eliminate the Kings and advance to the first-ever Conference Finals in Timberwolves history.
Irving can’t replicate those numbers but he can be similarly impactful within his own skill-set and ensure the Mavs don’t get swept on their home floor in Game 4. Any possible series comeback talk should be delayed until the series is at least 3-2.
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