DALLAS — When you need a bucket late in the game, it’s difficult to think of a more reliable option than Kyrie Irving. On Thursday during the Charlotte Hornets-Dallas Mavericks affair, the Hornets utilized a 9-0 run to tie the game in the fourth quarter. Irving, though, then connected on shot after shot to lead Dallas to a 103-96 win. The Mavs star said he “takes a lot of pride” in being a late-game closer while speaking to reporters after the victory.
Kyrie Irving says he takes “a lot of pride” in being a late-game closer.#MFFL pic.twitter.com/Q1Kb2NALoa
— Joey Mistretta (@JoeyMistretta_) February 28, 2025
“A lot of pride, man, I wish it could happen every night,” Kyrie Irving said of being a late-game closer. “When it goes well, you look great. When it doesn’t go well, you kind of fall short, you take the lessons not just from the loss but from both sides… Tonight was definitely one of those games where it could have been a setup. We played two emotional games in Golden State and LA. Coming back home, playing on our home floor, you feel the energy wasn’t at an all-time high going into halftime.
“We had some newfound energy that we mustered up. Just had to finish this game strong. Charlotte is a good team, they’re a budding team but at the same time you gotta take advantage of who is in the lineup, who is out of the lineup and really be a mature veteran team.”
Kyrie Irving leads Mavericks to big victory against Hornets
Kyrie Irving finished the game with 25 points on 11-24 shooting from the field and 2-9 shooting from beyond the arc. Although he was fairly inefficient from deep, Kyrie still recorded a plus-minus of plus-21. Irving added nine rebounds and five assists to go along with two steals and two blocks.
“I think he’s been very consistent here in Dallas,” Mavs head coach Jason Kidd said of Irving. “You can never take any star for granted… Just understanding what he means for our leadership, his calmness, his energy is at a high and the guys play off of him. You can see that in tonight’s game.”
Kidd and Irving have a good relationship. They are trying to keep the Mavericks afloat in the Western Conference playoff picture.
Dallas will host the Milwaukee Bucks on Saturday as the Mavs look to win a second consecutive contest.
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