Mavericks star Kyrie Irving has called on his teammates to play with a “smart sense of desperation” against the Boston Celtics.
The Mavs are currently down 3-1 in the series, but managed to stave off a sweep with a blowout 122-84 victory in Game 4. Irving played a key role in that win, scoring 11 points in the first half to help Dallas build a 61-35 halftime lead.
Speaking after the game, Irving emphasized the need for his team to attack Boston’s weaknesses, particularly in the paint. “We have to play with a sense of desperation, very smart sense of desperation,” Irving said. “We don’t wanna go out there and just throw the ball around the place. We wanna attack their weak points and continue to be efficient in the paint area.”
The Mavs dominated the paint in Game 4, outscoring the Celtics 60-26 inside. Irving noted that Boston’s main shot-blocker, Kristaps Porzingis, has been dealing with an injury, giving Dallas an opportunity to exploit the interior.
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“They have some shotblockers in there but their main shotblocker is not in there with KP [Porzingis] being injured. We gotta take advantage of that,” Irving said.
The series now shifts back to Boston for Game 5 on Monday. Irving and the Mavs will look to carry their Game 4 momentum and even the series before returning home.
