Irving had a long dark time, and as he and Doncic led the Mavericks to the Western Conference finals, he proved his worth and he was recognized. This season, Irving has become mature and stable, and has become the perfect helper for Doncic. After the game, Doncic admitted that Irving helped him mature and improve. And Owen was still holding his child in the locker room to give a speech, motivating his teammates to keep fighting and get the job done.
In the Western Conference semifinals G6 on May 19, Irving played 42 minutes, shot 9 of 23, 4 of 10 three-pointers, scored 22 points, 2 rebounds and 3 assists, and scored 8 points in the final quarter, including a key three-point shot that overtook the Thunder.
Speaking at the post-match press conference, Irving was happy, saying: "It feels like a long wait to get back to this position, to get back to the division finals, but it's still a long way off, and looking back on my career, I don't take it for granted, I've been to the division finals three years in a row and then I haven't been in this position for a long time. ”
Irving last played in the Division Finals in 2017, when he was still playing for the Cavaliers. Irving joined the Celtics in 2017 and missed the playoffs in his first season due to injury, and the Green Army made it to the Eastern Conference finals, but Irving clearly didn't feel much involved.
After leaving the Cavaliers, Irving has been controversial and reached his peak last season, eventually being traded by the Nets to the Mavericks, who brought him in and fell out of the play-in tournament. This has made many people suspect that Irving is the locker room poison, after all, he has not been successful with the Celtics and Nets, and James can stop him.
However, Irving has undergone a metamorphosis this season, and he is willing to be a second-in-command, willing to play off-ball offense, and aggressively defensive. Irving also pushes Doncic to improve. 'Owen is unconditionally supportive of everything I've done, he's helped me grow a lot and allowed me to look at the game in a different way. It's amazing to be able to play with someone like him. He's been our leader, not just for me, but for all of us, and he's been amazing. Doncic said.
Irving praised Doncic: "Off the court, I knew I was going to open up to him eventually, and he was like an aggressive teddy bear, a strong contender. "The Eastern European duo has noticeably become much more comfortable this season. Both of them understand the true meaning of teamwork better and make their teammates better.
In the locker room after the game, Mavericks players, coaches and owner Cuban got together. Holding the child in his arms, Owen said, "I try not to cry. Thank you guys, thank you for the sacrifices of each and every one of you, for everything you do. I am so grateful for all the kind words I have to offer you. We're going to keep positive, it's not done yet, but we can really celebrate it now." ”
The boss, Cuban, yelled at the side with a fist. Finally, coach Kidd asked everyone to put their hands together, and he also put Irving's head in his arms to express his love and appreciation for Irving. Kidd is a legendary point guard, and he's also a great mentor to Irving and Doncic.