Kyrie Irving and the Dallas Mavericks had plenty to celebrate on Friday, with their 109-108 victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves giving them a 2-0 series lead in the Western Conference Finals.
But that didn’t stop Mavericks coach Jason Kidd from poking fun at his star guard for his poor free throw shooting down the stretch.
While Dallas’ win came byway of a Luka Doncic 3-point shot with 3.1 seconds remaining, the Mavericks had to first overcome Irving missing three free throw attempts in the fourth quarter. In the locker room after the game, Kidd made note of Irving’s uncharacteristic struggles from the charity stripe, breaking his team down with “free throws on three” as the eight-time All-Star stood inches away from him.
A career 88.6% free throw shooter, Irving responded with a hearty laugh before throwing some playful punches at his Hall of Fame head coach.
“Alright, free throws on 3.” 🤣
Jason Kidd takes a friendly swipe at Kyrie Irving, who shot 2-of-5 from the free throw line in the 1-point Mavs win.pic.twitter.com/CEinQyC4FE
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) May 25, 2024
With their win over the Timberwolves, the Mavericks now find themselves just two wins away from advancing to the NBA Finals for the first time since 2011 — when Kidd was still their starting point guard. With the series shifting to Dallas for the next two games, the two teams will return to action for Game 3 on Sunday night.
About Ben Axelrod
Ben Axelrod is a veteran of the sports media landscape, having most recently worked for NBC's Cleveland affiliate, WKYC. Prior to his time in Cleveland, he covered Ohio State football and the Big Ten for outlets including Cox Media Group, Bleacher Report, Scout and Rivals.