On Friday night, the Dallas Mavericks had a hard-fought back-and-forth game against the Golden State Warriors.
The Mavs lost to them earlier this week and desperately needed a win. The playoff race is very close, and a win would keep Dallas out of the play-in tournament. Every game is important this time of year, and P.J. Washington made a big play late in the game that clinched the victory.
Tim Hardaway Jr. drove to the basket and found Washington on the other side of the lane for a layup to give the Mavs a two-point lead with less than five seconds left. After this play, Kyrie Irving told all of his teammates two words that signify the type of leader he is on this team.
“One stop! One stop! One stop,” Irving said to his teammates celebrating Washington's clutch bucket.
Watch this: Watch Kylie say “One Stop” repeatedly after the bucket is placed on PJ's giant bucket.#leadership pic.twitter.com/QX6vslA9lM
— MavsHighlights (@MavsHighlights) April 6, 2024
Washington's bucket was crucial and the American Airlines Center was shaking, but Irving made sure to remind his teammates that the job wasn't done yet. The Warriors still had a chance to win the game with his 4.5 seconds left, and Irving helped his teammates focus on the task at hand.
This may seem like a small thing, but Irving's leadership is something that hasn't been talked about enough this year. Just over a month ago, while the Mavs were slumping at 1-5, Irving remained confident that everything would work out, and that rubbed off on his teammates, who quickly got back on track. Ta.
He's only been in Dallas for a little over a year, but he's someone his teammates look up to late in the game. “I'm here (in Dallas) to lead players in a different way that they haven't been led before,” Irving said before the season. He is clearly set on being the leader here and nothing has changed since then.
Luka Doncic and Irving have made great strides as leaders this season, and Irving's ability to keep his teammates fully focused on the next defensive possession during times of adversity shows he has the qualities needed to be an elite leader. It shows that there is. Doncic missed the game due to knee pain, but Irving led his team to a 108-106 victory over the Warriors.
Irving and likely Doncic's next game will be against the Houston Rockets later today.
Stay tuned for the latest on Kyrie Irving, Luka Doncic, and the Dallas Mavericks as they aim for an NBA title this season.
