‘Foot On The Gas Pedal’: Kyrie Irving Takes 27 Shots, Scores 29 As He Works Off Minutes Restriction In Dallas Mavericks’ Loss To San Antonio Spurs
SAN ANTONIO — Two days after resting for Monday’s game against the Sacramento Kings, Kyrie Irving played 35:58 and took 27 shots Wednesday night. He finished with 29 points, 7 rebounds, and 5 assists in the Dallas Mavericks’ 112-111 loss to the San Antonio Spurs at Frost Bank Center.
Irving went 9-of-27 from the field, 5-of-14 from three, and 6-of-8 at the free-throw line. He took 16 shots in the first half and 11 in the second, when he played 17:03.
“It’s just me getting in better shape and kind of getting off this minutes restriction a little bit and being able to give what the game needs more consistently,” Irving said. “Conditioning is a huge part in our business and our industry. And when you’re playing a competitive game, you want to be able to make an impact. And my teammates and my coaching staff are trusting me with that.”
“Just gotta do a better job of my minutes and continue to be impactful. But also just be aware that when teams are giving me shots and kind of daring me, or I feel like the possessions are getting out of hand, it’s time for me to just kind of be aggressive and put my foot on the gas pedal,” Irving continued.
Kyrie Irving Scores 17 In First Half
Irving had 17 points on 6-of-16 shooting before halftime, including 11 in the second quarter on 4-of-8 shooting and 3-of-4 from three. He scored 10 more in the third quarter and 2 on 1-of-5 shooting in the fourth, when his driving floater with 2:30 left cut San Antonio’s lead to 109-108. His 15-foot turnaround jumper with 2.5 seconds left missed.
Irving tore the ACL in his left knee on March 3, 2025. He sat out the first meeting with San Antonio on Oct. 24, the second night of a back-to-back, for left knee injury management, which made Wednesday his first game against this Spurs group. Irving said he had watched a lot of film on San Antonio.
“I think just dealing with the pressure of just some of their defenders, and it’s my first time going against this team. So just this lineup and being able to see them up close, I’ve watched so much film on them. Got to watch them in the Finals last year. And they do a lot of great things,” Irving explained. “And whenever you can be successful or whenever you can have some positive possessions against a championship-level team, then you could take that one to the bank.”
“And I feel like we took some possessions that we can carry on, move forward, not just playing against them in the future, but playing against other teams,” Irving added. “You can’t knock their youthfulness. You can’t knock them pushing in transition.”
Dusty May Says Dallas Mavericks Trust Irving’s Game
Irving’s 27 attempts were 8 more than any other Dallas player took. Cooper Flagg took 19 shots, and P.J. Washington took 18.
“Kai’s Kai. Obviously, we trust him. We trust everything about his game,” Mavericks coach Dusty May said. “I thought at times everyone on our roster played really well, and at times we didn’t do as well. But I’m happy with his performance. They’re an excellent defensive team, so they’re going to force some tough shots.”
“And it’s a challenge when you look at the size, strength, and athleticism across the board. It’s not as if you can just get whatever shot you want against those guys,” May continued. “I thought in the second half our players worked well together. They were connected and generated some good shots together.”
On the final possession, May said, Dallas wanted to give Irving a double gap with De’Aaron Fox guarding him. Fox finished with 10 points and was plus-12 in 32:48.
“I got a good look at it, but I just didn’t have my legs underneath me as well. And Fox did a great job of bumping me off my spot,” Irving said. “And that’s just sometimes the tale of the game.”
Dallas (4-4) hosts the Utah Jazz on Friday at American Airlines Center at 7 p.m. CT.
