(Photo by Joshua Gateley/Getty Images)
The Dallas Mavericks didn’t know what hit them in Game 1.
They traveled to Oklahoma City for a date with the Thunder after an impressive series with the Los Angeles Clippers, and they trailed by as many as 22 points at one point.
Per Kyrie Irving, it was all a matter of attitude and a lack of adjustments.
Talking after the loss, Irving stated that the Mavs allowed the Thunder to get into a rhythm offensively because they didn’t make adjustments on the defensive end of the floor (via Brad Townsend).
Irving speaks. He said the Mavs didn’t come in with the right attitude and I asked him to elaborate. pic.twitter.com/B2PPIpPvW1
— Brad Townsend (@townbrad) May 8, 2024
He believes the Thunder ran the same plays over and over, and they kept cashing in on them.
That could be seen as a bit of a jab at Jason Kidd, who’s left a lot to be desired as a tactician since his coaching career started.
The Mavericks were one of the best defensive teams in the league since the All-Star break, and they have the personnel to make things uncomfortable for the Thunder or any other team in the league for all that matter.
Nonetheless, they cannot afford to go through the motions against the best team in the Western Conference, at least record-wise.
The Thunder have a legitimate two-way superstar in Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, and they also have plenty of athletes around him.
They run an efficient offense and are a switching nightmare on defense, so Jason Kidd will have to hit the drawing board and deep dig into the tape if they want to stand a chance.
The post Kyrie Irving Reacts To Mavericks’ Game 1 Loss To Thunder appeared first on The Cold Wire.