The Dallas Mavericks started the regular season on a positive note but are still striving to find the form that led them to the NBA Finals last year. After falling 108-102 to the Houston Rockets, Kyrie Irving took the opportunity to address his teammates.
Despite the defeat, the Mavs showed resilience, cutting a 23-point deficit down to just three. Irving offered an advice to his teammates on how to transform a loss into a learning experience.
“Just try not to overthink it and just have fun hooping. We’re in a feeling out process,” Irving said. “We have the success of last year but it doesn’t mean s— this year because we’ve accomplished nothing.”
“The champions are the Boston Celtics, and for us, yes, we won the Western Conference championship, [I’m] very proud of that, but for this group right here, we haven’t accomplished anything,” Irving added.
Kyrie Irving #11 of the Dallas Mavericks goes up for a shot against Steven Adams #12 of the Houston Rockets and Tari Eason #17. Richard Rodriguez/Getty Images
Irving’s key to team success
For Irving, the key to team success lies in building a culture of honesty and respect. “So, I think it’s just enjoying the beginning of the marathon. Being able to be honest with each other after games, have these talks, and be able to respond — that’s the telltale sign of a great team,” Irving explained.
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“After losses, not turning into a back-to-back loss is coming back in tomorrow for work and being able to prepare and be better where we were weak tonight,” he added.
Doncic takes responsibility for Mavs’ loss
In the wake of Thursday’s defeat against the Rockets, Luka Doncic offered a candid assessment of the team’s performance. “That’s on me,” Doncic said. “I started pretty bad, so I’ll take the blame because I gotta do better than that. I know I can do it; I just have to focus and play my game,” he explained.
Despite the setback, Doncic managed to find a silver lining in the game. “In the fourth quarter, I felt a little bit like myself. That’s always a good thing. But obviously, we didn’t win; it wasn’t good enough. I’m just trying to play my game,” he added.
