Which Kyrie Irving will show up for the Mavericks in Game 3 of the NBA finals?

After failing Luka Doncic for the second consecutive NBA finals contest, Kyrie Irving knew he had to take the first step towards making things right between the two Dallas superstars. Following the Mavericks’ disappointing 105-98 road loss to the Celtics on Sunday, Irving reached out to the former Euroleague MVP/champion and delivered a powerful message ahead of Game 3 of the 2024 NBA finals.

“It started with me just telling my hermano (Doncic) I got to play better for him, alongside him,” Irving said earlier this week. The eight-time All-Star went on to add that, “In order for us to accomplish our goal, we both have to be playing well and we both have to be doing the little things, doing whatever it takes to win.”

Irving was brilliant against the Minnesota Timberwolves in the Western Conference finals, averaging 27.0 points per game on an efficient 49 percent shooting from the field and respectable 37.5 percent shooting from long range. Irving, who is regarded as one of the most skilled/polished ball-handlers the game of basketball has ever seen, had his way with the Anthony Edwards-led Timberwolves all series long. Whether he was baiting defenders to rise up out of their defensive stance by utilizing his set-up dribble moves or jabbing and exploding/ripping through hard to rim while operating in the triple threat position, Irving proved that he’s still at the top of his game at age 32.

To begin the finals, however, Irving has failed to reach the 20-point mark and sink a three-point basket against the Eastern Conference champions. You see, the Boston Celtics have committed to loading up on Kyrie when the ball is in his possession and forcing him to make high level reads in traffic. So far, Irving has struggled to find his footing on the offensive end and consistently manufacture open looks when stout defenders like Derrick White, Jaylen Brown and Jrue Holiday are in his line of vision. Yes, we all know that Luka Doncic is going to do whatever it takes to keep Dallas afloat, but without the assistance of his partner-in-crime, I have no reason to believe that the Mavericks will come out victorious in this series. If Irving wants to add another championship victory to his resume and silence all of his doubters, he’ll have to start by orchestrating a masterful offensive performance in Game 3 on Wednesday night.