DALLAS — When the Dallas Mavericks faced the Golden State Warriors in two games this week, Kyrie Irving went head-to-head with Stephen Curry for the first time since being traded from the Brooklyn Nets last season.
In Friday's matchup, Irving led the Mavs to a 108-106 victory despite Luka Doncic being sidelined with an injury. Irving had 26 points, eight rebounds, and seven assists that night. Curry finished his performance with 28 points, six rebounds, and five assists.
April 5, 2024. Dallas, Texas, USA.Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) looks like he's going to score.
Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports
Irving emphasized that playing against Curry will not be a one-on-one battle, but he respects Curry's impact on the NBA. He appreciates the passionate fan bases whenever these two superstars meet, and given their history of matchups, especially multiple fights in the NBA Finals, he understands the reason for the intrigue and anticipation. ing.
“I mean this is not as much of a one-on-one fight between me and Steph as the fans make it out to be,” Irving said. “I don't know how long that conversation will last, probably until he retires or I retire. There's this comparison: He's a point guard, I'm a point guard. He's won four championships, but , I've won one championship, we've won a championship before.'' We've played in the finals several times and have a history of winning.
“I just respect those guys, and he's put in a lot of effort in our league,” Irving explained. “He set the standard for a lot of our point guards to where we want to be. [and] It's like we're still following his accomplishments. ”
There's no desire to stick with Curry to do so and vice versa, but there is an incentive to play at peak performance against another elite talent. Irving also talked about how she takes inspiration from the way Curry plays and incorporates it into her own game.
“It's inevitable as a competitor that you want to play well against an opponent like that,” Irving said. “He brings out the best in you. He's going to come in and do the Stephen Curry thing. He's going to wow the crowd. He's going to excite the crowd.
“And for me, I think I just tried to take some of the strengths that he does well and incorporate them into my game,” Irving explained. “I'm sure he's taking something away from me. And we just learn from each other. It's mutual respect.”
The bar for Curry is set high for the rest of the NBA, including Irving. Both superstars are one of nine different players to achieve a 50-40-90 season, as well as one of the few to do so as high-volume pull-up shooters. Irving would love to live up to that record again, but he has just five games left to improve his field goal percentage from 49.3% to over 50%.
“I don't know if we can really give the fans what they want in terms of matchups, but it's really exciting to be in the league with a player like that and watch him break records every season,” Irving said. Ta. “I'm still trying to scratch off a 50-40-90 season this year, and I think he's done it once or twice.
“It's easy to sit here and say negative things about a guy like that. But no, it's all positive,” Irving explained. “And when we get on the court, we're going to be hitting each other. That's the way it's supposed to be.”
