MINNEAPOLIS — Kyrie Irving got off to a strong start in the Dallas Mavericks’ 108-105 Game 1 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves to take a 1-0 series lead. Irving scored 24 of his 30 points in the first half, his highest-scoring first half of any game this season despite averaging 6.0 points per game in the postseason.
After the Timberwolves beat the Denver Nuggets in Game 7 of the Western Conference semifinals, Anthony Edwards was excited to face Irving in the next series. “It’s going to be fun,” he said. “My opponent is Kyrie. [Irving]So it’s going to be fun, and I’ll see what I can do against him.”
Irving, who watched Game 7 between the Nuggets and Timberwolves at home with his family, told TNT during an appearance on “Inside the NBA” that Edwards’ comments motivated him in Game 1.
“I used that as motivation,” Irving said. “Sitting at home watching it, I was like, ‘This is just a sign of respect.’ I knew what type of game it was going to be, Game 1 and the rest of the series.”
“I was at home watching Game 7 with my family and Ant comes out and says, ‘I got Kyrie.’ That’s a fearless mentality. That’s why we love Ant,” Irving explained.
Irving told reporters at the post-game press conference that he admires Edwards’ “fearless spirit” in dealing with respectful face-to-face confrontations on the court.
“Yeah, as a peer, I love it. I love it,” Irving said. “It doesn’t get any better than when Ant was a little younger. I’m sure he watched me and I watched him when he was in high school. For me, it’s one of those exciting matchups that I’m looking forward to.”
“It was funny because he said it right there, right after the game, and I think the whole world was like, ‘OK, you know what you’re talking about,’ and I respect that and that fearless mentality that he has is why I love him as a competitor and as a person,” Irving continued.
“But when we step on the court, he’s going to give it his all, and I’m going to give it my all,” Irving concluded. “And at the end of the game, it’s all decided and we’re between the lines. He knows what that is and I know what that is.”
In addition to Irving’s dynamic performance, Luka Doncic also contributed with 33 points, eight assists, six rebounds and three steals. P.J. Washington’s 13 points and Daniel Gafford’s 10 rounded out the night with double-figure points, but Derek Lively II was crucial in closing out the game with nine points, 11 rebounds and two blocks to anchor the defense.
Irving and Edwards next face off on Friday at Target Center, with Minnesota eager to avoid falling behind 2-0 in the series as they must travel to Dallas for the next two games of the series.
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