Even though Jalen Brunson has improved, he still isn’t quite as excellent as Kyrie Irving, who put on a standout performance in the Dallas Mavericks’ decisive victory over the New York Knicks. Irving is an eight-time All-Star.

The Dallas Mavericks were anticipated to enter Thursday’s game against the scorching New York Knicks with the right attitude and intensity after suffering a humbling loss to a woefully undermanned Memphis Grizzlies club on Tuesday.

The Mavs did bring that right enthusiasm and played a fantastic game against the Knicks, snapping New York’s five-game winning run with a 128-124 victory at American Airlines Center, even though MVP candidate Luka Doncic was sidelined due to an ankle injury. Dallas’ season record now stands at 23-16, and they are 4-1 during this current seven-game homestand.

USA TODAY Sports’ Kevin Jairaj

The Mavs’ ability to ruin Jalen Brunson’s first Dallas game since he left for New York in 2022 free agency was mostly due to Kyrie Irving. Irving dominated the game from the start, scoring eight points in a hurry to set the tone. He went on to end with 44 points, 10 assists, four rebounds, and two steals while shooting 15–26 overall, including 6–10 from three-point range.

Regarding the earlier game, Irving remarked, “Well, in competition, you’re going to get embarrassed sometimes.” “I believe that’s a component of competition at the NBA level. You won’t always play games at your desired level, but I believe we made progress tonight. That was only 48 hours ago, and sticking to the plan is just as crucial as being consistent. Having the ability to set up moments during the game where your whole emphasis is on obtaining the best possession possible from your partners. It was a competitive game.

Doncic, who has only a few times in his career recorded a 40-point, 10-assist game, was the only Mavs player to do so until Thursday night. Irving has now joined him on that elite team list. Irving is shooting 48.3 percent overall and 42.6 percent from three point range this season while averaging 24.8 points, 5.0 rebounds, 5.3 assists, and 1.4 steals. He is also exerting all of his effort on the defensive end of the court.

“Once more, I believe we have discussed this previously: during a regular-season game, our stars are diving to the ground. After Irving repeatedly fought for loose balls during the Mavericks’ victory over the Knicks, head coach Jason Kidd stated, “It just shows the importance of their leadership, where they’re at, and their mentality.”

They have to make an occasional sacrifice because they are leaders, and that is what leaders do. Kai (Kyrie Irving) and Luka [Doncic] have done that by diving for the ball, coming up with a steal and then we go the other way. Once more, Kai has recovered from his injury really well, and we really needed that.

As good as Brunson has been in New York, Irving showed why Mavs fans should no longer be upset with how things went down a year and a half ago. Sure, the Mavs could’ve kept Brunson, meaning that Dorian Finney-Smith and Spencer Dinwiddie could’ve stayed on the team or been used to trade for a frontcourt upgrade … but then again, Dallas wouldn’t have Irving, and probably not 19-year-old rookie Dereck Lively II either, in that scenario.

When the lights are brightest, and the pressure is on, Irving is a guy you want in your corner, and the Mavs’ goal is to make it to the postseason with their star backcourt duo healthy. If that happens, the Mavs will have a chance to beat any opponent they face and make some real noise in the playoffs, perhaps even more noise than they made in their 2022 Western Conference Finals run that featured Brunson.

“[It] opens up everything for us on the floor, and then we start playing off of him. He gives up himself when it comes down to him not having the ball,” said Tim Hardaway Jr., who had a big game of his own with 32 points on 50-percent shooting.

“Even with Luka out there, he does a great job of screening off the ball and playing off of guys, playing off their energy. That’s how we all play when that second unit is in there, when ‘77’ takes a break and we play fast, we play aggressive. Undoubtedly, it’s our brand of basketball.

As good as Irving and Doncic are, though, the Mavs’ roster isn’t complete yet, and the Dallas front office is working the phones in hopes of upgrading the frontcourt before the Feb. 8 trade deadline. Whether that piece ends up being Toronto Raptors’ Pascal Siakam, Portland Trail Blazers’ Jerami Grant or someone else, the Mavs hope to be even better off than they are now when that deadline buzzer sounds.