Dallas Mavericks point guard Kyrie Irving showed up when the team needed him the most on Sunday against the defending NBA champion Denver Nuggets.
The Mavericks and Nuggets were tied as Dallas had the last possession in regulation. Irving received the inbounds pass with less than three seconds left in the game. He came off of a screen and curled around with the ball.
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Dallas Mavericks guard Kyrie Irving (11) shoots the winning final-second basket against the Denver Nuggets in Dallas on March 17, 2024. (AP Photo/LM Otero)
Dallas Mavericks guard Kyrie Irving reacts after hitting the game-winning shot against the Denver Nuggets in Dallas on March 17, 2024. (AP Photo/LM Otero)
He dribbled toward the foul line and threw up a running shot with his left hand, and the ball went through the basket at the buzzer. Mavericks players rushed over to Irving to celebrate the win.
Dallas won, 107-105.
“In Kyrie we trust,” Mavericks rookie Dereck Lively II said. “Whenever we see him get the ball, sit back and watch it happen.”
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Irving finished the game with 24 points, nine assists and seven rebounds.
“Sometimes I spend just an hour straight just working on straight left-hand stuff,” Irving said of his game-winner. “Just being a small guard, you’ve just got to have a multitude of finishes. And that’s something I’ve been working on since I was a kid.”
Denver gave itself a shot, rallying back from a 13-point deficit. Jamal Murray hit a tiebreaking 3-pointer with 26 seconds left. Murray finished with 23 points.
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Dallas Mavericks guard Kyrie Irving (11) reacts with teammates P.J. Washington (25) and Tim Hardaway Jr. after Irving scored the game-winning shot against the Denver Nuggets in Dallas on March 17, 2024. (AP Photo/LM Otero)
Dallas improved to 39-29 with the win. Denver fell to 47-21.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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