The Dallas Mavericks’ duo of Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving have raised the clutch quotient of the 2024 playoffs, especially after their fourth-quarter heroics against the Minnesota Timberwolves in the Conference Finals. However, some folks have taken things a bit too far and have started touting Irving and Luka as the best clutch duo in the history of the game. 2008 NBA Champion Paul Pierce, who was a renowned clutch shooter in his day, pointed out why we need to pump the brakes on this thought.
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Pierce posited that the Mavs’ superstar duo first needs to prove themselves in the NBA Finals to even be in the conversation for such a grandiose title. The Truth reminded fans that even he and Ray Allen were one of the most clutch duos in NBA history during their Celtics tenure, and their tandem actually won the title.
Pierce also cited the example of Stephen Curry’s deadly combination with Kevin Durant and Klay Thompson, which led to multiple titles as well. On the other hand, the Irving-Doncic pairing is yet to win one.
Then the 46-year-old quipped that Michael Jordan is in a league of his own when it comes to clutch moments.
“We got [on the best clutch duos’ list] Curry-Klay, Curry-Durant, LeBron-Kyrie, and then Jordan and the towel boy. Anybody with Jordan, Jordan with Scottie, Jordan with popcorn man, Jordan and the towel, Jordan is the ultimate clutch man,” Paul Pierce told Keyshawn Johnson and Skip Bayless.
"Me and Ray Allen have something to say about that."@PaulPierce34 on whether Luka, Kyrie are the clutchest duo ever 👀 pic.twitter.com/EFOilamqb5
— UNDISPUTED (@undisputed) May 27, 2024
The 2008 champion relayed that until Doncic and Irving’s playoff “run is over”, it is futile to rank them among the best clutch duos of all time. As per Pierce, if they shine on the NBA’s biggest stage, then the conversation would make more sense.
At any rate, the fact that they are even figuring in such narratives before the Finals speaks volumes about their achievements.
Shaquille O’Neal is in awe of the Kyrie-Doncic one-two punch
Shaq and Kobe wreaked havoc in the NBA world and didn’t spare anyone on their path to a three-peat. They are surely one of the scariest duos of all time. However, the Kai-Doncic formula has managed to surpass them in a major category. After Game 2, a graphic started to make rounds on the Internet featuring the best-scoring performances from duos in modern NBA history.
It shows that while Shaq and Kobe combined for 57.5 points during the 2002-03 season, the Mavs’ guard duo compiled 59.5 points during the 2023-24 season. They just trail James Harden and Russell Westbrook, who managed a whopping 61.5 points per game during the 2019-20 season. O’Neal shared this graphic on his Instagram stories to appreciate the Mavs’ killer guard combo.
Meanwhile, Trae Young also feels that Kai is the perfect complement to the 2024 NBA scoring leader. Additionally, Paulo Banchero termed them “professional closers” whereas Stan Van Gundy dubbed them the “greatest backcourt in NBA history”.
Therefore, the duo has certainly elevated their profile during the playoffs, and with a foot already in the NBA finals, they will likely garner further glory.
