Entering key Game 3, Kyrie Irving has not yet appeared for the Mavericks

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Entering key Game 3, Kyrie Irving has not yet appeared for the Mavericks

Yaron Weitzman

FOX Sports NBA Writer

Going into these NBA Finals and after watching Dallas Mavericks rampage through the Western Conference playoffs, Boston Celtics bet. Instead of trying to get the ball out of the hands of the Mavs’ two aggressive players, they forced the ball into their hands.

The basis of betting is a simple one. First, the Celtics believe the Mavs are more dangerous when the entire team is thriving, rather than just Luka Dončić And Kyrie Irving. They also believe that their core group has enough strong defense that the Celtics can execute this Dončić and Irving scoring strategy And kept Dončić and Irving from catching fire themselves and winning many games.

“Just try to wear those guys, be as physical as possible, give it your all,” the Celtics wing Jaylen Brown told reporters on Sunday night. “Just touch them. That’s all.”

So far, that bet has paid off. The Mavs entered the finals with an offensive rating of 115.2, an elite rate. Over the first two games of the series, that mark has plummeted to 100, with the Celtics – after a 105-98 win on Sunday night, their eighth in a row – now leading the series 2-0. Game 3 is Wednesday night in Dallas.

There are many reasons behind the Celtics’ hot start. Jaylen Brown (21 points, 7 assists, 3 blocks) is playing some of the best basketball of his life. Kristaps Porzingis repeatedly attacked the Mavericks in the middle of the post and blocked the rim. Jayson Tatum was constantly finding his way into the paint. But somewhere higher on that list is Irving who has so far failed to punish the Celtics for guarding him one-on-one.

Irving finished Game 2 with 16 points and six assists. It wasn’t a bad performance but it wasn’t nearly good enough. He was ineffective, shooting just 7-for-18 from the field. Through the first two games of this series, he has scored just 28 points on 35% shooting and has missed all eight of his deep looks. Most notable may be the fact that he only made two free throws.

“I was a little disappointed that I wasn’t able to convert more from the opportunities I had in the lane,” Irving told reporters after the game. “Obviously I’m fighting back Jrue holiday and Jaylen Brown a few times, but I felt like I had the edge on certain possessions that I had to convert.”

Meanwhile, Dončić racked up 62 points on 51% shooting along with 12 assists in the first two games of the series. He has done his part. Irving does not.

When was the last time we saw him have this much trouble swinging – even if it was against an elite defender?

And when was the last time an opponent felt comfortable leaving a lumbering center alone with Irving on an island?

The Mavericks’ offense is based on the idea that Dončić and Irving can consistently disrupt the defense, triggering turnovers and scrambles. This results in easy, well-paced jumping or cutting or running the rim for the supporting cast.

While those incidents disappeared, so did the corner kicks and alley-oops that pushed the Mavericks into the finals. Instead, players like PJ Washington and Derrick Jones Jr. tasked with detecting deep, over-the-top, off-beat triples, an area where nothing excels. The non-Dončić Mavericks were only able to hit 17 three-pointers and they only drilled two of them. The Mavs also only connected on one alley-oop in two games against the Celtics, after averaging nearly four per game entering the finals.

“It’s not all about me, but I’m definitely going to make up the majority of it because my teammates are counting on me to convert a lot of these shots and ease the burden on not only Luka but everyone else and stabilize our team,” Irving said. “Offensively, I have to play better.”

Irving really came out strong in Game 1. On the Mavericks’ second possession, he blew White Derrick to rest. Two minutes later, he did the long jump. Two more layups in the first quarter gave him eight points.

The Celtics did better the rest of the game sitting on Irving’s right hand. “Push me a little more to my left,” he said. They also showed once again why they are the second-best defensive team in the league this year. Irving isn’t the first guard to get locked in the Derrick White-Jrue Holiday backcourt. Also give the Celtics credit for collapsing on Irving in the paint, and using their size and length to take away his passing lanes.

Yet, with all that, Irving was still able to hit some good shots.

“He has great looks,” Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd said. “They just don’t go down.”

That’s good for a game. Maybe two. But considering how well the Celtics are playing, there’s no room for error anymore. Either Irving will turn things around now, or the Mavericks will watch on their home court as the Celtics celebrate their championship.

Yaron Weitzman is an NBA writer for FOX Sports and an author Reaching the top: The Philadelphia 76ers and the boldest run in professional sports history. Follow him on Twitter @YaronWeitzman.

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