Luka Doncic hailed Kyrie Irving as the 'Batman' of the Mavericks while calling himself the 'Robin' of the team after their 138-96 win over the Sacramento Kings.
“He’s the Batman, I’m the Robin. it's just amazing man, everything on our team is amazing. Outside basketball, he’s just a great person and we all get along so well. The chemistry is really good right now.”
Both Kyrie and Luka put on a show on a road back-to-back tonight against the Kings. Kyrie ended the game with 24 points and eight assists while Luka had 28 points, 11 rebounds, and six assists through three quarters and didn't play in the fourth.
There's no doubt that Kyrie Irving has looked extremely happy since joining the Dallas Mavericks. He persevered through last season's disappointing 11th-place finish with the Mavericks and re-signed in the summer.
He recently opened up on the love and acceptance he has felt from Dallas.
“I have my own beliefs and views. I think, here in Dallas, I have been accepted way beyond just my talent on the court. I think it is for what I represent in the broader world. I think there's a genuine connection I have here and the fans relish that..."
He's averaging 25.3 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 5.3 assists this season, with the Mavericks looking like genuine playoff threats in the West.
The Dallas Mavericks Look Like Real Dark Horses
The Mavericks went under the radar for the first half of the season, as an injury-riddled roster was not consistently winning games despite Luka Doncic putting up heroic performances. It was a similar story to last season, as the Mavs were stuck in the play-in race. Despite taking months, they've finally earned the No. 6 seed with a one-game lead over No. 7 Suns.
Their 43-29 record has been peppered with rough spells, injuries, and a stretch of games after the All-Star break where Jason Kidd was ironing out his rotations and the team lost five in six games. But since the trade deadline, Dallas has a 14-6 record.
They're 9-1 in their last 10 games, with the sole loss coming against the OKC Thunder where Dallas lost by three points while Luka was out injured., They're 10-0 in the last 10 games Luka has played. The team is 11-0 when Luka, Kyrie, and Daniel Gafford start together. These are scary numbers for a team that has gone from being one of the worst inside teams in the NBA to the best, while still maintaining their offensive panache.
Doncic's MVP case might be over, but he's averaging 33.9 points, 9.1 rebounds, and 9.8 assists this season. The Mavericks are just 1.5 games behind the No. 4 seed, so maybe Doncic could still make noise and win an unlikely MVP, provided the Mavericks surpass 50 wins on the year.
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