GAME 15 DIRKIE: KYRIE!!

[SleepingHero]

This game was going so well for me. Right up until Lively goes down hard when he gets undercut by Davis off the oop and limps off the court. I gasped. I felt the energy change from the Mavs.

But they somehow finish up the 3rd quarter just as strong as the other two. I tell myself, it'd be just like the Mavs if they found a way to blow a 21pt lead in 12 minutes... but I quickly brushed that thought off thinking it'd be ludicrous. Fast forward to 3 mins left of the 4th and this is my face:


I kept closing my eyes because a meltdown like this would have me want to take a break from the NBA for weeks. And then.... Kyrie "Chief Hela" Irving forces an 8 second call, hits the clutchest 3 in the world to put the Mavs up by 1, and then ices the game with the FTs. 

The Mavs were 3/19 in the 4th quarter, Kyrie had 2 of those made shots. 

An honorable mention goes to Richaun Holmes for stepping up and playing out of his mind when Lively went down. He made some timely defensive plays and his rebounding was apparent. 

Lively also gets an honorable mention for those same reasons. There was a huge difference in the Mavs paint presence when Holmes and/or Lively was on the court tonight. 

Tl: DR- Kyrie gets the Dirkie.