![]() ![]() When the margin between winning and losing is razor thin late in games, Dallas' duo hasn't been good enough. Unfortunately for the Mavericks, they might be out of time to fix their late-game issues. We've just got to be able to finish better as a team." "But at the same time, I'm at peace with just our effort, with spurts throughout the games. "So I think the fun part of it is we still have a glimmer of hope, a glimmer of light at the end of the tunnel of where we can still sneak in. "We've just been losing tough ones, emotionally draining, but at the same time we're professionals," Irving told the Dallas Morning News. They combined to miss difficult shots on three straight possessions early in overtime, before ultimately losing on a controversial foul call on Irving, followed by Doncic's missed buzzer-beater. Doncic and Irving combined to shoot 1 of 6 from the field in the extra session of a virtual must-win game. Sunday's 132-130 overtime loss to the Hawks may have been the final straw. Their offense is not nearly good enough to overcome a defense that can't get stops late in the game. Whatever the reason, the recipe hasn't worked for the Mavericks, who are just 20th in offensive rating during clutch time since the trade, but a top 10 unit the rest of the game. While Irving has proven to be a potent producer since entering the league in 2011, injuries. The 31-year-old, who will be free to sign with a new team this summer, averaged 27 points in Brooklyn and Dallas last season. He is 0-9 on game-tying or go-ahead shots in the final three minutes of the fourth quarter, or in overtime, since the deal. According to NBA insider Marc Stein, the Mavericks are the only team interested in guard Kyrie Irving, at least at the moment. Perhaps playing second fiddle to Irving down the stretch has not suited Doncic. He was scoring over 30 points per 36 minutes in these situations before the trade. He has been the primary playmaker for Dallas down the stretch, while Doncic has been more of a facilitator, scoring roughly 15 points per 36 minutes in the clutch since the trade, making just one-third of his shots. ![]() Like always, Irving has put up numbers, and clutch time with Dallas has been no exception. (Game 7 of the 2016 Finals anyone?) This will be the first time one of his teams has had a losing record in clutch time since the 2013-14 Cavaliers, which is before James' return to Cleveland. He's proven plenty capable of making big shots throughout his career. The blame hardly falls on Irving's shoulders. ![]()
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