“It’s Such A Pain”: Kyrie Irving’s Brilliant Defense Frustrates Thunder Coach Mark Daigneault

The Dallas Mavericks took Game 2 of the Western Conference Semifinals after dropping Game 1 to the Oklahoma City Thunder. A grit & grind performance from the Mavericks throughout all four quarters, Thunder coach Mark Daigneault expressed his frustration with Kyrie Irving’s efforts in the second game of the series.

The Mavericks came out swinging right out of the gate and denied the Thunder any opportunity to gain momentum and take the lead. Despite a 29-point performance from Luka Doncic and PJ Washington, the Oklahoma City Thunder head coach was more occupied with Kyrie Irving’s defensive prowess after the game.

“He’s so handsy. He’s got great hands, it’s such a pain. He’s just got a great knack for that. You feel like he’s out of a play, and he just gets the ball. A lot of guys reach and slap when they’re on the play, he just seems to get the ball more than most guys. He’s got an unbelievable instinct for that.”

“It’s a pain because it’s hard enough to get a crack and get by somebody, and when you finally get an advantage and then he makes something out of nothing with those plays, it’s tough…He’s really competed on that end of the floor….High respect for how he’s competing right now.”

Thunder coach Mark Daigneault on Mavericks star Kyrie Irving’s defense:

“He’s so handsy. He’s got great hands, it’s such a pain. He’s just got a great knack for that. You feel like he’s out of a play, and he just gets the ball…It’s a pain because it’s hard enough to get a crack… pic.twitter.com/SFM4Hicr27

— Noah Weber (@noahweber00) May 11, 2024

OKC Head Coach Mark Daigneault was visibly befuddled with how well Kyrie Irving was able to impact the game, both on offense and on defense. He emphasized Irving’s ability to strip the ball away from the offense.

Daigneault mentioned how other players in the league slap, scratch, and claw their way into getting a steal or creating a loose ball situation. However, he was more amazed over the fact that Irving had a distinct advantage in that segment; with being able to get the ball more than the others in the league.

Another thing head coach Mark Daigneault brought up was Uncle Drew’s adeptness to create something out of nothing. While talking to the media, Mark Daigneault credited Irving’s skills of making the right plays, especially when it seemed as if there was nowhere to go.

Kyrie Irving’s take on his Game 2 performance

As per StatMuse, Kyrie Irving finished Game 2 with 9 points, and 3 rebounds on 2-8 shooting from the field. However, like most greats, Irving did not force his shot, instead he found the next best way to contribute to his team.

Uncle Drew turned up the heat on the defensive end of the floor, harassing players on the perimeter and doubling Thunder bigs whenever they got a good position down in the paint. He paired his poor scoring night with 2 steals, 2 blocks, and 11 assists, finding his teammates for easy and open looks.

According to SportsIllustrated, Irving was asked about his performance on defense after the Game 2 win, a rare sight for fans to see, and what led up to it.

“It’s not my time to press. It’s my time to do other things in order to make a successful and that’s just part of being a champion is just continuing to push forward…Everybody’s shooting well around me. Everybody’s getting great looks. I’m not necessarily getting the looks I want, but it’s no time to sulk or no time to have hard feelings.”

Irving did what any other great would’ve done in this situation, changing his approach to the game that would best help his team. And it clearly did as the Mavericks not only took Game 2 but also the third game of the series, now standing on a commanding 2-1 lead.