Mavs’ Kyrie Speaks After Loss vs. Celtics: Jan. 22, 2024
Do you think Focus was an issue tonight Jak kid said he thought that uh there was the officiating impacted the focus curious if just your take on that what what exactly would say you know yeah I don’t want to I don’t get him in trouble yeah give a second he
Said the officiating was he said was distracting tonight basically or just I I think we were just a little bit frustrated with the officiating and we lost our Focus we’ve got to be better okay yeah know I think he’s entitled to that as as our head coach and I agree
With him um uh in terms of just uh the rhythm of the game uh kind of knocked us back and we were doing a lot of um you know extra talking to the refs and trying to figure out what they were seeing out there uh on both ends of the
Ball so uh I think that attributed to um you know some of our our kind of uh plays down the stretch and also in in that second quarter third quarter where they outscored US 41 to 33 um yeah no I think that just took a toll
On us but um you know I don’t want to sit up here and make any excuses uh for myself or or our team I think they they played a heck of a game in Celtics um you know we we held them to um you know Fair Shak in the first
Quarter and then that second quarter they took full advantage of the opportunity to get into the free throw line getting some open threes playing with a pace that uh we just couldn’t match and when you allow a team to score 40 points in any quarter in the NBA it’s
Going to be tough to come back from it they had a incredible Rhythm so you got to give them credit on that and they were um you know picking on our matchups tonight a little bit made us think the game on the defensive end and um you
Know was another test for us against one of the best teams in the league and we came up short so uh we could definitely pinpoint um some of the plays throughout the game that we could have been better or could have been fixed but uh I think
Overall uh our mentality com into this game was was pretty good uh we just can’t allow any external distractions to get in our way um cuz we we were in the game for majority of the game and then they created some separation and you know did what the Celtics do they closed
Out pretty well and uh played hard to the end this the mentality was good coming in obviously you guys had unexpected time off a couple practices the first ones in a couple weeks did that have any effect on the game or uh the specifically what the practic the
Time off the practices or or might you have expected to have more impact and and it didn’t or yeah no I mean fir you know first play of the game uh I went to swipe down on JT and then you know like just like the other game not getting
Tackled out there air by Bron like unexpected you know like injuries in the first few minutes of the game and then you know I’m barely reaching for the basketball I’m barely going after things uh you know my aggression was kind of a little bit lower than than I wanted to
And um when things happen like that personally you got to get out of your own way and still do everything you can to win and I think for me um you know I got to do a better job of just inserting myself in in situations on the court and
Getting better shots I think a few of them I felt like they were right at The Rim or they were pretty much contested but I got to knock those down and got to give Lucas some help um you know especially when he’s playing well in the
First half like that second half uh you know I felt like uh we could have given him a lot more more support and um you know he was forcing it a little bit as every other great scorer does in our league and uh we just got to be able to
Pick him up on the defensive end make sure um you know we’re there to support each other and and what what exactly happened on that play you said you swipe down but then it yeah on the first play of the game JT went by me and I tried to
Swipe and you know he he does his uh kind of trick where he puts the ball up and messed up my thumb that’s why I’m wearing this freaking freaking brace right now man got so Swit them other than uh Talent what makes them so hard to get
A handle on on the offensive end I mean they didn’t shoot the threee terrific tonight but they still uh they got to the line obviously yeah I I think they do a great job of shrinking the floor uh playing through their guys JT and JB and
Then you you got uh some quality high IQ basketball players over there in their locker room with Drew holiday and Al Horford who have a lot of Veteran leadership so uh you know those guys know who to play through what plays to run uh their bench play uh pretty well
Tonight too in terms of just their pace and and getting the ball out um they didn’t shoot the ball particularly well from three but they still got 46 attempts so uh you know it just shows you what they’re looking for as a offensive Juggernaut um and you just looking
Forward to the next time we play him so we can make our adjustments I think Joe Missoula made some adjustments coming out of halftime uh the way he wanted to play me and Luca um and he wanted the ball to find some of our guys on the
Perimeter so you got to give him credit again they they’ve been playing great all season season um for us we’ve we’ve um been trying to figure out our identity our consistency and tonight was one of those times where we came up short against one of the best in the league what did boua
Adjust uh I I felt like uh you know he really was uh making an emphasis to get switches on a defensive end while we were playing defense and um continue to uh put certain bodies in in positions on the offensive end while we were playing
Offense uh just to stop by the in you know they do a lot of switching they they do a lot of uh overh helping um so again you got to give them credit they they have a great uh system there and uh tonight you know we just make
Adjustments quick enough how how big of a concern is is your thumb going forward man I honestly want to curse right now and say you know like F this stuff like going on you know what I’m saying cuz I don’t want to take these Nick Knack
Injuries but you know it just comes with the territory in this physical combative game so I’m not going to make any excuses for myself it’s going to it’s going to hurt I don’t think there’s anybody in NBA that’s 100% night to night um so for me personally I’m not
Going to make any excuses man you know the other night was was brutal falling on my back falling on my hip and then tonight you know spraining my thumb but just got to keep pushing man did you need to get any kind of uh x-ray yeah I
Got x-ray right after the game um our doc said it’s just a right hand right uh thumb spring so just wear this for protective measures and then try to avoid people swiping down the next few games um put the ball in shot where they can’t swipe down and hopefully I don’t
Get injured again you know you’ve obviously won a championship you competed against championship teams you know a lot of guys over there well how do you think they measure up to a a championship Cali standard uh well I I don’t we didn’t get to see their full
Team tonight um starting five and you know full rotation stuff like that like we saw against Denver um you know but I I I got to give them credit man they they have uh you know done incredibly well this season and last season finishing last season pretty strong and
They making some changes making some trades and you can tell they’re they found their chemistry they they found the guys that um are going to get him over that hump and you know who knows what’ll happen down the the next few months but um you I wish them well and I
Know we see them in the next like month or two um and I’m looking forward to it but tonight you know we went against an offensive Juggernaut um feel like we held them to some pretty good percentages um just didn’t come out successful in that second half where uh
We had a chance to secure the lead or at least get closer than we were Kyrie Adam rth what spe for I’m doing a story about Coach sham got and your relationship kind of going back with your family what’s it been like over the past year kind of getting to work directly with
Him uh it’s been an incredible opportunity that I haven’t taken uh for granted with God sham God being my coach here and him knowing my family really well and him and my dad have a great Rapport and um he he’s one of those cultural Legends um that has done you
Know far more off the court than he’s done on the court he’s been a mentor he’s been like a big brother for not only me but for countless other peers of mine friends of mine and um you can tell he loves uh people and he loves helping
Out um you know people who want to get better um not just as a basketball player but as a man as a person um and it’s not a just a male thing it’s a female thing too he’s he’s a mentor for a lot of different people and I’m sure
He could speak for himself but I’ll just speak from my perspective I’ve just uh uh really appreciated um his honesty and and how much he he goes to B for me and protects me uh it means a lot to have like a big brother um type figure in
This in this league where you’re going through day after day and um you know just it’s good to have a guy like him I talked to him before the game you said you guys kind of bond over generational guys from from the tri state from New York and talking about just basketball
His gr cool that to have a guy in Texas with you kind from from your background yeah well I like to consider myself a a basketball historian uh you know as a young person I I’ve appreciated the game of basketball this sacred artc of movement this physical combat uh for a
Little while now and I just see it from different Vantage points and I like to show appreciation for all the legends that came before me and um the guys that aren’t in the Hall of Fame right um I don’t want to exclude the guys in the
Hall of Fame but you know some guys don’t have to make the Hall of Fame in order to still make an impact in this culture um you know you see countless coaches and and and countless teammates that I’ve had that are doing things outside of the game and I feel like he
Falls right in that category so when we get to bond over generational conversations and have fun and and have a banter back and forth on um who was better than who or what generation was better than who you know I think the older generation love saying that our
Generation is soft and um you know we don’t like physicality and and just who can play in that era back in the day and and who had the the physical skill set so um it makes the job fun it doesn’t even feel like a job when he’s at work
And it’s not just him it’s the other coaches as well they make it feel like home here they feel like my big brothers and my uncles so last last one how much do you remember from him at Providence or in the league or how much did your
Dad kind of tell you about him or just just learning about him when you were young yeah I I mean his name is uh floating in the projects as we say like his floats in the hood like he um you know where I’m from in Jersey and New
York City uh particularly in the Bronx and Harlem New York shout out to the Bron and Harlem but um you know was constant comparison conversations on who’s the best point guard out of New York who’s the best shooting guard who’s the best player out of New York who’s
Going to be the next guy coming out and um hearing about God sham god um you know that was a that was normal for me in my neighborhood and growing up with my dad and my family members and he’s known a couple of my family members for
A while um so he’s one of those talented guys that didn’t necessarily have one of those long long NBA careers and outscoring you know he his uh generation and being one of those guys but I’m I’m just grateful he stuck around and helped guys like me and um
You know achieve goals that go on the court and off the court so he’s he’s been impeccable manate it what good
Dallas Mavericks superstar Kyrie Irving spoke to reporters after the loss against the Boston Celtics on Jan. 22, 2024.
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15 Comments
Pass Kyrie the damn ball!
want kyrie to other team. luka should play SF and kyrie should be the playmaker or pg
Luka ball hug the game too slow when hes a pg. Kyrie should be agreesive at all times if they want a win. Kidd must go he always pull out kyrie when its matters most to ky
I appreciate how thoughtful Kyrie’s answers are. The makes it a point to ask the reporter for clarification so he knows specifically what he’s being asked.. when most players would just give a generic answer.
Dallas shoot too many 3s . Some of the shot selections get them in trouble towards the end of the game. And i feel like its too much Luka and Kyrie. Other guys are not hitting shots they need to step up. And the Defense Stinks. Hopefully we make a trade before deadline. Need another Big PF or C.
When you don’t let your TEAM play, you lose games. Stop making it all about Luka. Share the ball more.
The whole team from the chock to the stars are encouraging flopping and relying on non calls being called. It’s a loser mentality.
Luka should never take ten more shots then KY
Ky is so damn articulate and smart
ain’t no way Kyrie likes playing with luka
Syria u hacked down on his whole arm
Trade for Kyrie and proceed to use him like he is Spencer Dinwiddie. Kidd needs to let Kyrie be point guard and get Luka to be a post threat. Its as ridiculous rn if Jokic was running down the court with the ball while Jamal Murray goes into the corner. That's essentially what the Mavs are doing. Team's floor rn is 1st round exit. Ceiling second round exit. Bottom line is they need a real backup center and some tweaks to the offense if they want to make some noise but unless they do then nothing but losses for this team in the future.
Kyrie is my hero for reasons not related to basketball.
Against quality teams let kyrie dictate the pace of the game Luka is focing his games against this opponent avg.33 pts tripple double in a losing effort..
LUKA is a BALL HOG!!! PERIOD