Dallas, TX
Earlier impacts from Kyrie Irving have Dallas Mavericks on doorstep of second round
LOS ANGELES — Jason Kidd’s decision to draw up a play for Kyrie Irving on the first possession of Game 5 set an intentional tone for Wednesday’s blowout victory over the LA Clippers.
Long before Irving’s two-way highlight that led to one of his most impressive plays of the first round, he opened scoring for both teams by using the same shot that helped the Clippers trounce the Mavericks in Game 4 as he threw up a floater over the outstretched arms of Terance Mann and Ivica Zubac.
On the next possession, Irving threw an overhead pass to a cutting P.J. Washington for an easy dunk. The next time Dallas scored derived from an alley-oop connection from Luka Doncic to Derrick Jones Jr. Irving had another score inside the paint a couple of possessions later.
The Mavericks’ diverse offense, coupled with several possessions of suffocating defense, led to a dominant 123-93 victory in what could have been the Clippers’ last home game at Crypto.com Arena. The 30-point blowout began with the early assertiveness from Irving, who had typically waited to look for his shot until after the first quarter.
“I think it sends a very direct message, not only to my teammates and me, but to the other team that we see a mismatch out there,” Irving said. “We see something that we can take advantage of. It’s no disrespect to who we’re playing against … when your number is called, you just gotta be ready to stay aggressive. I felt pretty good and confident that J [Kidd] threw some plays my way and I was able to get it going.”
A glance at Irving’s stat line of 14 points, four rebounds, six assists and two steals probably wouldn’t mean much to the casual fan. His 40-point explosion through the final three quarters in Game 4 may appear more impactful. However, his five shot attempts in the first quarter were his most through any first quarter in the series, which required the Clippers to send double-teams earlier than usual.
As a result, Dallas’ athletic group of forwards and centers had more freedom to cut to the rim for lobs and easy baskets. Doncic, who played through injury and illness, also had his most efficient outing of the series with 35 points, seven rebounds and 10 assists with a plus/minus rating of 28. Irving led the team with a plus/minus of 35 — the highest of any player through the series.
Since his acquisition last season, Irving’s been lauded in Dallas for serving as a leader and a co-star next to Doncic. Irving is typically known for his offensive abilities, but he’s embraced the challenge as a defender as well.
“You gotta have great conditioning to be able to make an impact on that end,” Irving said. “We have so much firepower in here, I don’t necessarily have to rely on my offensive abilities to get me going. I really take pride in it and it carries over to my teammates.”
Despite giving up a couple of inches, he’s been the primary defender of James Harden. The two former teammates from Brooklyn have swapped baskets on each other throughout the series.
“Kyrie was playing great defense and pressuring [Harden] the whole time,” Doncic said.
Irving had two steals Wednesday, including one from Harden with eight minutes left in the third quarter. The crafty veteran used his elite ball-handling to go from one side of the court to the other, but the combination of a right-to-left crossover into a behind-the-back dribble allowed Irving to keep a defending Norman Powell on his toes.
Irving finished a layup through contact with his off-hand, putting the finishing touches on a play that garnered attention from several notable names, including LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Isaiah Thomas. He credited his AAU coach, Sandy Pyonin, for challenging him to keep his head up while dribbling at full-speed.
“Not a lot of people can go from A to B and make five moves while they’re running,” Irving said. “I think that’s something that separates me from a lot of different guards in the league. … Some of the moves just come out of the creative air. It feels good that I was able to finish it, but I knew it was a bigger play than just the highlight.”
The play was a momentum shift for the Mavericks, who will return to Dallas looking to close out the Clippers in six games. Before the series began, Doncic was asked about what separates this Mavericks team from the groups who lost to the Clippers in the first round of the playoffs in 2020 and 2021.
“We have Kai,” Doncic said.
Twitter/X: @MikeACurtis2
Find more Mavericks coverage from The Dallas Morning News here.
Despite heightened security around World Cup matches at Dallas Stadium, Arlington police say eight people have now been arrested for attempting to enter games without tickets.
The latest arrests occurred Saturday during the Argentina vs. Jordan match. NBC 5 Investigates found similar incidents have happened multiple times during the tournament.
Police said all eight people arrested have been charged with criminal trespass.
On Saturday, Arlington police arrested 32-year-old New Zealand national Catalina Gambadoro, 26-year-old Argentine national Alejo Melgar and 18-year-old Kareem Kakour, who has an Indiana address.
According to police, the three were apprehended quickly and did not make it inside the stadium. However, police said at least four people arrested this month were able to gain access to the venue before being caught.
NBC 5 Investigates obtained police reports detailing arrests made on June 22 during the Argentina vs. Austria match.
According to the reports:
• Gerardo Nielsen, 46, of Cordoba, Spain, and Juan Ignacio Campoamor, 35, of Hollywood, Florida, unlawfully entered AT&T Stadium property without effective consent. Police said both had noticed that entry without a ticket was prohibited and pushed through a hole in a fence to gain access.
• Leandro Ayala, 46, of Buenos Aires, Argentina, allegedly jumped a fence to gain access to AT&T Stadium without purchasing a ticket. Police said he entered the property without the owner’s effective consent despite notice that entry without a ticket was prohibited.
• Federico Llach, 45, of Plano, allegedly crossed ticketed barriers and trespassed into AT&T Stadium.
Earlier in the tournament, on June 14, police arrested Ryan King, 39, during the Japan vs. Netherlands match. According to a police report, King attempted to climb a security fence and enter the stadium before it opened to the public.
Officers quickly located and arrested him. The report states that officers determined he intended to watch the match without purchasing a ticket.
Security measures at the stadium include vehicle barriers, metal fencing around the perimeter, and a heavy police presence at entry checkpoints.
After the initial arrests, Arlington police said they were reviewing security procedures. It remains unclear whether any security changes have been implemented following the additional arrests.
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Dallas, TX
Preston Hollow residents oppose proposed $800 million mixed-use development in Dallas, survey reveals
It’s called a blue card survey. But some residents in the Preston Hollow neighborhood of Dallas believe it could be their ace in the hole and their fight against the proposed development.
The 2019 tornado left a trail of destruction in North Dallas, including Victor Toledo’s home. He said been able to rebuild along with others in his neighborhood.
But he says one area is still an eyesore.
“It’s become a very desirable neighborhood, other than that one corner, that one corner is still stuck six years ago with the old office buildings,” said Toledo.
That “one corner” he’s referring to is the southwest side of Preston Road in Royal Lane.
It’s where developers want to build an $800 million 19-story resort hotel, apartment building, and mixed-use development.
There are signs all around Preston Hollow opposing the project.
A recently completed survey of residences within 500 yards of it reveals just how strong the opposition is.
City of Dallas survey:
- 258 opposed
- 7 in favor
- 18 no response
Margaret Chabris hopes the city’s planning and zoning commission, which meets again on Aug. 6, will take the results of the survey seriously.
“It does have an impact because this is what the city wanted to know, and this is the chance that residents and property owners right here can voice their opinion; it should have a considerable impact.”
But some residents, like Toledo, believe the benefits of the development outweigh concerns about traffic and construction.
“It’ll be great for the neighborhood to have that kind of amenity,” Toledo said. “To have hotel options, new restaurants. Now it’s a vacant old building that wasn’t being used much.”
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