Kyrie Irving Delivers Message to Mavericks Fans After NBA Finals Loss to Celtics

BOSTON — It’s never a favorable position to drop the series opener in any playoff series, particularly in the NBA Finals. History suggests the Boston Celtics now has over a 70 percent chance of closing out the series after taking Game 1 using a 107-89 victory over the Dallas Mavericks.

Kyrie Irving had a tough performance in Game 1. He was held to 12 points while making 6 of 19 shots overall and missing each of his five 3-point attempts. He remained optimistic about his performance at the team, suggesting he was missing shots he tends to make.

“Just got to stay confident and stay poised throughout this, man,” Irving said after Game 1. “This is the best time of the year to be playing. There’s only two teams left. Let’s put it in perspective. The environment is going to be what it is but my focus is on our game plan and making sure my guys feel confident and I feel confident and continue to shoot great shots.”

After Saturday’s practice, Irving participated in NBA Finals media day and was asked about a potential message to Mavericks fans after losing Game 1. He began by saying it’s not the first time the fan base has panicked, but encouraged them to stay poised during the series.

“It’s not the first time we’ve heard Dallas fans are panicking. Shout-out to our fans,” Irving said. “We appreciate your support all year. Just stay poised, man. Stay focused on the goal. The mission is bigger than us.”

Throughout the season, Irving has shared a message to his teammates and fans that encourages patience. After losing Game 4 of the Western Conference semifinals against the Oklahoma City Thunder in what involved blowing a 14-point lead, his messaging was similar. Dallas went on to take Game 5 and ultimately won the series.

“Don’t panic, and just stay poised,” Irving said. “It’s not time to have irrational emotions towards a game like tonight, you know what I mean? We know how we played. We’re honest with each other, and we had the game pretty much in our hands and control, and then down the stretch… we just didn’t make enough of the clutch plays.”

Another instance was when the Mavericks hit a rough patch shortly after the NBA All-Star break involved losing five of six games after a seven-game winning streak. During that stretch, Irving had a calming message to the media, telling fans, “We’re going to be okay, that’s for everybody that’s watching at home,” he said. Dallas went on to win 16 of its last 18 games before clinching the fifth seed in the Western Conference.

Stick with MavericksGameday for more coverage of the Dallas Mavericks throughout the NBA Finals.

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