SUMMARY
- Kyrie Irving couldn't handle the emotions and apologized to Mavericks fans for the Game 4 loss.
- Irving's 14-0 elimination game streak broke after the Timberwolves secured Game 4.
Kyrie Irving was on a hot streak going 14-0 in elimination until Game 4 of the ongoing Western Conference Finals. The 32-year-old is the most experienced player on the Dallas Mavericks’ roster and he took it upon himself to lead the team to glory. After securing a fiery 3-0 lead against the Minnesota Timberwolves, the Mavericks came back seemingly low on energy at the American Airlines Center.
The game eventually dripped down to the wire and both teams had multiple lead exchanges. Anthony Edwards had a couple of great shots to give the Wolves a lead before Luka Doncic drew a foul on a three-point attempt against Edwards. Unfortunately, he couldn’t cut down the chase to two points, the Wolves called timeout and resumed the final seconds with Naz Reid’s layup to close out Game 4.
Kyrie Irving apologizes to fans for failing to secure a Game 4 win
Kyrie Irving averaged 27.6 points coming into Game 4. But to the Mavericks’ surprise, Minnesota put them on clamps quite well. Irving only finished with 16 points, 2 rebounds, 4 assists, and a steal. During the post-game press conference, he said, “[We have to] be human, go home, and then get a great night’s rest. And come to the practice facility tomorrow to be ready to watch film.”
He added, “A loss like this, it definitely stings, it definitely hurts. Like I said, there’s a level of disappointment but this is part of the competitive side of basketball too. You know, you win some and you lose some. We would have loved to close out the series on our home floor. Sorry fan, it didn’t happen.” Sadly, Irving’s incredible undefeated elimination record now has one loss.
The Mavericks have swept the Timberwolves in the past
The Mavericks are a fairly successful team. They’ve witnessed several playoff runs during the 2000s and early 2010s. Dallas last won a title in 2011 against LeBron James’ newly formed Miami Heat. But they are no strangers to achieving playoff sweeps. In 2000, they swept the Timberwolves in three games during the first round. And a few years later, the Mavericks swept the Memphis Grizzlies in 2006.
The LuKai love is real 🤞#OneForDallas // #MFFL pic.twitter.com/3gBhDnqY30
— Dallas Mavericks (@dallasmavs) May 27, 2024
Dallas ended up reaching the NBA Finals for the first time in 2006 but they lost to the Heat, blowing up a 2-0 lead they had during the series. The only other time they swept a team was during the 2011 Playoffs against the Los Angeles Lakers in the second round. Fortunately, the Mavericks are still favorites to win this series to advance into the finals.