The Dallas Mavericks defeated the Houston Rockets 147-136 in overtime, and as time ran out, Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving embraced each other in an exhausted embrace. They walked hand in hand, savoring the occasion. 

As the Mavericks celebrated their 14th victory in 16 games, the remainder of the roster quickly gathered around Dallas’ co-stars at midcourt. The Mavs’ greatest comeback of the season, coming back from a 22-point deficit, made this victory as hard-earned as any other in their current streak.

A picture that perfectly captured Dallas’ triumph was the collective hug. While the whole squad was involved, Doncic and Irving were the main attractions. The overtime victory was the greatest point total for the superstar combo this season, as they scored 85 points between them. Kyrie Irving scored 48 of those points. Among Doncic’s 37 points, 9 boards, and 12 assists was a pass to Dante Exum, who scored the game-winning 3-pointer at the buzzer to force OT.

“At the end of the game, Luka was like, ‘I’m tired, man,'” recalled the player. That’s the reason I embraced him, dude. He did everything in his power and let it all hang out. It was just one of those “in the moment” situations where we brothers could embrace each other. We are well-aware of the amount of effort and time invested in order to reach this stage of the season. 

Doncic and Irving lead all NBA duos with three games in which they scored 35 points or more (ESPN Stats & Information).

After improving from tenth to fifth place in the Western Conference in little over a month, the Mavs are now 48-30 and will meet the Clippers in the first round of the playoffs. Despite dropping their first six games following the All-Star break, the Mavs ended up with the best record in the NBA at the time.

“The chemistry is big,” Doncic said. “We are on a roll right now.”

Coach Jason Kidd started the 14-2 run by starting center Daniel Gafford and defensive ace Derrick Jones Jr., two players the Mavs had acquired around the trade deadline in addition to starting power forward P.J. Washington. Out of nowhere, Doncic and Irving were encircled by explosive players who bolstered their offensive prowess. 

In those 16 games, Doncic has averaged 30.9 ppg, 10.1 rpg, and 10.0 assists. Irving has been a huge help to Doncic, averaging 26.1 points and 5.3 assists per game.

That happened on Sunday during the fourth quarter. Irving was 7 for 10 from the field in the first quarter, putting up 19 points. He was spectacular off the dribble, combining beautiful passes with high-arching fadeaways and creative finishes at the rim. 

“When the ball’s in my hands and I don’t see anybody coming to double, then that’s my time to be aggressive,” said the player. After that, my teammates couldn’t stop passing the ball to me. We are simply making the most of the matchup that I had tonight. I was able to take advantage of some easy points tonight and keep riding the wave of positive vibes, man. 

“At the end of the game, Luka was like, ‘I’m tired, man,'” After Dallas’ 147-136 overtime victory over Houston, which necessitated a 22-point comeback, Kyrie Irving made the following statement. That’s the reason I embraced him, dude. He did all he could and let it all hang out. Getty Images cites Glenn James/NBAE. 
Irving went 15 for 25 from the field, adding six more points in the extra period. Only three of Irving’s fifteen baskets were assisted, so he mostly scored by himself.

While he was simply walking, Doncic merely stood, he explained.

The Mavs traded for Kyrie Irving in a massive deal with the Brooklyn Nets during the 2023 trade deadline with the hopes that he would be a dynamic and productive player who could help out Luka Doncic. The Mavs were unable to make the playoffs last year due to injury concerns with both Doncic and Irving, so the trade didn’t immediately pay off.
The win over the Rockets was Irving’s 29th consecutive game played, despite his durability difficulties this season. He missed 12 games due to a right heel contusion and another six games due to a sprained thumb. Over that span, the Mavs have a record of 22-7. 

“He’s one of the best players in the world, and he’s playing the game at a high level,” Mavs coach Jason Kidd said of Irving. “He’s in a great place. The energy is extremely high, the vibe is good, and he’s doing everything we expected him to do.”