Dallas Mavericks guard Kyrie Irving. Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports

Kyrie Irving bizarrely blames Kawhi Leonard's absence for Mavericks loss

By Adam Taylor | Last updated 4/22/24

The Dallas Mavericks suffered a humbling defeat at the hands of the L.A. Clippers on Sunday.

Jason Kidd's team struggled to break down the defensive wall that Ty Lue's roster implemented throughout the matchup. Dallas scored only 30 points by halftime in a shocking display of offensive struggle.

When addressing the media during his postgame news conference, All-Star point guard Kyrie Irving bizarrely noted that Kawhi Leonard's absence from the Clippers' rotation contributed to his team's loss.

"When someone like Kawhi, who has a huge presence for their team, does a lot offensively and defensively, isn't playing, there is a bit of an adjustment period mentally that you gotta get ready because that means that other guys have to step up," Irving said. "And we saw that tonight."

Kyrie Irving on facing the Clippers without Kawhi Leonard:

“It is a psychological game, playing chess, playing high-level combative game, competitive game. When someone like Kawhi who has a huge presence for their team isn't playing, there is a bit of an adjustment period… pic.twitter.com/mIVwasUbAa
— Tomer Azarly (@TomerAzarly) April 22, 2024

Leonard is one of the best two-way wings in the NBA. His absence from the Clippers' rotation was seen as a fortunate outcome for the Mavericks. Nobody expected Dallas to use their opponent's star player's absence as an excuse for their shortcomings.

Regardless of whether Leonard is in or out of the Clippers rotation, the Mavericks must up their game. They have two of the best scorers in the NBA on their roster in Irving and Luka Doncic. There's no reason for an inability to convert shot attempts to be their downfall.

The Clippers are a tough team. They have four future Hall of Fame talents on their payroll. Dallas faces a tough challenge in overcoming them in the first round of the Western Conference. As such, the time for excuses is over. Irving and Doncic will need to up their game on Tuesday, as another loss for Dallas would put the Clippers firmly in the driver's seat.

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