"Wasn't just all on me"- Kyrie Irving reacts to Mavericks' 0-2 hole in 2024 NBA Finals

Kyrie Irving underwhelmed again as the Dallas Mavericks fell into a 0-2 hole in the 2024 NBA Finals following their 105-98 Game 2 loss on Sunday. After a 12-point night in Game 1 on Thursday, Irving added only 16 points to his series tally, shooting 38.9%. Notably, he is yet to make a 3.

Irving also had several defensive lapses and some missed sitters inside the arc that potentially proved costly. The former champion not playing like a legitimate No. 2 option has been critical to the Mavericks' failures. Irving addressed his woes after the game, taking the majority of the blame, but asserting it wasn't just him at fault:

"Defensively, I was out of possession, got some ticky-tack fouls," Irving said. "Just took away from our flow of the game. It wasn't just all on me, but I am taking majority of it just because, you know, my teammates look to me to convert a lot of these shots and ease the burden on not only just Luka but everyone."

Irving's struggles aren't helping the Mavericks offense, especially with Luka Doncic producing back-to-back 30-point outings. He's had close to no support from Irving or the rest of the group, resulting in Dallas' poor offensive output. The team hasn't scored over 100 in either game.

Kyrie Irving was one of the two players on the Mavericks with more attempts than points. Dereck Lively II, with his 1-of-3 shooting effort, was the other.

Mavericks won't go far without Kyrie Irving hitting his ceiling

One of the key differences between the Boston Celtics and Dallas Mavericks is the disparity in the talent pool between the teams. While Doncic and Irving are two of the top four players in this series, the next three on the list are all Celtics players, followed by the Mavs' supporting cast.

The two-way contribution from each Celtic has been decisive, something Dallas hasn't gotten from their best players, either. As good as Doncic has been on offense, his defense has been disappointing. Meanwhile, Irving has been a letdown on both ends.

The Mavericks role players didn't come into the series with great expectations, but Irving did. Dallas relies on the offensive output Irving and Doncic provide, and if either fails, especially against this Celtics team, the Mavericks may not manage a single win.

Kyrie Irving is renowned for being a versatile offensive player, so he has what it takes to break out of this slump. He's shown flashes of adjusting to Boston's defensive schemes, but the missed shots have hurt his chances of making a difference.