After a disappointing loss to the Miami Heat, the Dallas Mavericks found their rhythm again, securing a hard-fought victory over the Atlanta Hawks. With Luka Dončić sidelined due to injury, Kyrie Irving stepped up to deliver a stellar performance, leading his team to a 120-112 win in the NBA regular season.
Irving wasn’t the only one to shine. Several players contributed significantly, including Spencer Dinwiddie, who scored 22 points. Naji Marshall also had a solid outing, while Jaden Hardy, Daniel Gafford, and PJ Washington all added double-digit points to the Mavericks’ total.
Though Irving struggled in the opening quarter, where he managed just four points and seemed out of sync, he regained his form and led Dallas down the stretch.
During the game, the Hawks’ crowd took the opportunity to remind Irving of a controversial moment from his past, chanting “The Earth is round!” every time he approached the free-throw line. However, with 32 points, 7 rebounds taken and 6 assists, Irving just silenced the Hawks fans with his performance.
Kyrie Irving #11 of the Dallas Mavericks walks off the court after the game against the Minnesota Timberwolves at Target Center.
Why the fans chanted at Irving
The chant harked back to a bizarre moment in 2017 when Irving made headlines for claiming the Earth was flat. During an interview, the Mavericks star declared: “The Earth is flat. The Earth is flat. It’s right in front of our faces. I’m telling you, it’s right in front of our faces. They lie to us.”
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The comments sparked widespread backlash, leading Irving to apologize in 2018, especially to his high school science teachers, for “making them rethink their entire curriculum.”
“I was huge into conspiracies at the time, and everybody’s been there,” Irving said, reflecting on his controversial remarks. NBA Commissioner Adam Silver also weighed in, joking, “Kyrie and I went to the same college, but he may have taken some different courses.”
Irving reflects on Mavericks’ strong fourth quarter
Following the victory, Irving spoke to the media about the team’s resilience, particularly in the fourth quarter. “It was a total team effort,” he said. “We stuck to the game plan and did all the little things—boxing out, limiting second-chance opportunities. We executed the things we didn’t do well in the game yesterday.”
Irving’s leadership helped the Mavericks overcome an early deficit, and despite the taunting from Hawks fans, he kept his focus and guided Dallas to an important win.
