Any worry of Kyrie Irving not meshing well with Luka Doncic and the Dallas Mavericks offense should be laid to rest by now despite losing to the Minnesota Timberwolves 124-121.
Early on in the game, Irving decided to defer most of his touches and open shots to his teammates as he only had 10 points for the entirety of the first half.
Christian Wood was the main beneficiary of the new Dallas duo as he dropped 24 points (7-of-12 from the field) and five rebounds to anchor a Mavericks offense that struggled to find their shots early in the game, with the Wolves leading 65-54 entering the second half.
Irving again took point guard duties in the third quarter as he was able to provide both hockey assists and direct passes to guys like Wood, Josh Green, Reggie Bullock and Dwight Powell while Doncic continued on his scoring rampage.
With the Mavericks' offense stagnating to a putrid level, Dallas fans watching live in their home stadium of the American Airlines Center witnessed just how big of a get Irving actually was for them.
"Uncle Drew" showed them why he still remains one of the premier combo guards in the league as he scored 26 points in the fourth quarter–the most points in a quarter for the Mavericks this season.
A comeback was nearing its completion as both Irving and Doncic took over the game with ease while the Timberwolves struggled to contain them and their lead narrowed down to just three points in the final seconds.
However, their defense came alive exactly when they needed it as Anthony Edwards and Jaden McDaniels put on one of the best displays of perimeter defense for Minnesota fans, preventing either Irving or Doncic to fire a game-tying three.
Irving ended the night with a game-high 36 points on extremely efficient shooting splits of 65.2 percent from the field (15-of-23) and 44.4% from three (4-of-9) alongside five boards, six assists, two steals, and a block.
Doncic added a double-double of 33 points and 12 boards plus six assists and a steal.
While it is only their second game together, Irving and Doncic have proven to be a talented duo that can carry the Mavericks at spurts within the game.
General manager Nico Harrison also deserves his praise for taking a chance on Irving.
In that same vein, the Mavericks sorely missed the defense being provided to them by Dorian Finney-Smith as Edwards and McDaniels combined for 51 points.
They also had no answer for the threat of Rudy Gobert inside the paint, recording his own double-double of 21 points and 14 boards while shooting at a perfect 9-of-9 from the field.
It would be wise for them to pursue a big man and a 3-and-D wing on the buyout market, with names like Will Barton and Nerlens Noel being decent options – if they are bought out.
For now, Irving and Doncic will be looking to go on a revenge tour against the Denver Nuggets on Wednesday, February 15 ahead of the All-Star break.
