Kyrie Irving and Luka Doncic joyfully embraced in the middle of the court as the Mavericks' most improbable victory in basketball in more than a decade ended.
Like basketball soulmates.
This time a year ago, Irving and Doncic played their final game of the season together, going 5-11 in that game, but on Sunday afternoon at American Airlines Center, they were an unstoppable duo. He led Dallas to a come-from-behind victory, 147-136. Won against Houston in overtime.
Dallas trailed 61-39 midway through the second quarter, but Irving's Mavericks scored a career-high 48 points and Doncic scored 37 points to electrify the crowd, and the visibly tired Mavericks were able to beat the crowd. It was their 14th win in their last 16 games.
Oh, and 3-pointers like Dante Exum's 26-foot buzzer-beater. The attack from the right side sent the game into overtime. Other than all of the above and the fact that the Mavericks defeated Houston in the first overtime of the season, his 18-7, this day was just another normal NBA day for him.
“When the game ended, Luka was like, 'I'm tired,'” Irving said. “So I just hugged him. He left it all out there. He did everything he could. Everybody in this room.” I’m having a hard time.”
With four games remaining in the regular season, the fifth-place Mavericks (48-30) are mathematically in the playoffs if they win one of the six guaranteed spots in the West.・It is almost certain that he will avoid participating in the tournament.
They lead 6th place Phoenix and 7th place New Orleans (both with 46 wins and 32 losses) by two full games and hold the tiebreaker with both teams. In other words, both the Suns and Pelicans would have to overtake Dallas by winning three more games than the Mavericks in their remaining games.
Irving scored 19 of his points on 7-of-10 shooting in the fourth quarter, leading Dallas to a 31-23 lead over Houston. Irving then scored six more points in overtime.
“He's a great player,” Doncic said. “Great guy. Great player. And he just helps everyone on the floor.”
Irving's heroics came in the same building three weeks after the left-handed 21-foot hook that beat Denver at the buzzer.
That afternoon, Doncic cheerfully wrapped Irving in a bear hug. This time there was definitely some energy, but there was also a sense of fatigue and relief.
The Mavericks flew home from San Francisco after a 11-day, five-game road trip with a 4-1 record, arriving late Wednesday afternoon. He then had back-to-back wins over Atlanta and Golden State, including a 3-0 homestand win in four days.
This time a year ago, with questions being raised about whether Doncic and Irving would be an effective tandem, the Mavericks deftly sunk their final two games, increasing their chances of retaining a top-10 protected draft pick. Ta.
Now, they're looking to win as much as possible, led by superstars who totaled 85 points, 16 rebounds and 14 assists on 27-of-46 shooting on Sunday.
“It was one of those moments where we brothers embrace,” Irving said. “We know how much work we’ve put in and how much work it took to get to this point in the season.
“Nothing is guaranteed yet in terms of seeding, but we know what it feels like to be on this team right now and to be together as a duo. We are focused on defense and the offense is over. We are leaders. We are fully committed to our roles as players, and we are fully committed to our teammates.”
Exhibit A: Doncic was double-teamed and came off a screen 30 feet from the basket before passing to Exum, who hit a buzzer-beating 3-pointer from the right side. Irving called it “the best play possible for us at this point.”
“So when you see the laughs, when you see the smiles, when you see each other feeling good, I think you see a mutually beneficial relationship,” he said of his relationship with Doncic. “Even when we're feeling down, we encourage each other to be positive. And that goes a long way in any work environment.
“So, when the game is over and the buzzer goes off, you can give your brother a hug.”
Exum's game-tying 3-pointer came nine days after he made the game-winning 3-pointer with 28.1 seconds left in a come-from-behind win at Sacramento.
Sunday's tying trey was Exum's only point in 8 minutes, 41 seconds of play in the fourth quarter. But again, it was a shot born of the confidence that Doncic and Irving have shown him repeatedly, including in clutch situations.
“It happens all season, you just miss one shot and they're like, 'Yeah, take the next shot, take the next shot,'” Exum said. . All that matters is that they remind you of the times when they supported you. ”
When these teams met in Houston just a week ago, Doncic led the Rockets to 47 points, but Dallas held Jaylen Green to 12 points on 5-of-15 shooting.
On Sunday, Green scored 12 points in the first six minutes, but finished with just 21 points. Dallas trailed 42-27 at the end of the first quarter, but pulled within 71-67 at halftime.
The Mavericks were unable to tie the game for the first time at 96-96 until late in the third quarter. They didn't take their first lead until Irving made two free throws with 3:01 left in regulation to make it 121-120.
“At those times, I just let him cook,” Exum said of Irving. And look. ”
Dallas got a lot of help from Houston in taking this game into overtime. Fred VanVleet missed the second of two free throws with 25.1 seconds left in regulation, leaving Houston with an even precarious lead at 129-126.
After Irving missed a 3-pointer with 20.6 seconds left, Rockets forward Jabari Smith Jr. missed two free throws with 8.3 seconds left, setting the stage for Exum's heroics.
Overtime was mostly a formality. The Rockets were trying to avoid elimination from the play-in tournament, but found themselves blowing their chances in regulation.
Mavericks coach Jason Kidd quietly watched the postgame scene as the Mavericks hugged everyone around them, including their superstars.
“It's about understanding that we're playing for something bigger than just the back of the jersey. We're playing for each other,” Kidd said. “You can see the chemistry within the team by looking at the celebration at the end.
“It takes a long time to build it. It takes a long time to build it. It doesn't happen overnight. The beauty of Kai and Luka embracing at the end, there's only trust. But their trust in their teammates on the floor was tremendous.”
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