Dec 15, 2024; San Francisco, California, USA; Dallas Mavericks guard Kyrie Irving (11) dribbles against Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) during the fourth quarter at Chase Center. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images

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“That’s what great players do”- Stephen Curry hails Kyrie Irving’s clutch performance in win over Warriors

scored 42 points, and 7 rebounds, going 15-of-25 from the floor and 7-of-10 from three in Mavericks' win.

Not much was expected from the short-handed Dallas Mavericks when they entered the American Airlines Center on Wednesday to face the Golden State Warriors. With seven players injured, including Anthony Davis, P.J. Washington, Lively II, and Dwight Powell, the Mavericks had no center available.

But veteran Kyrie Irving had other plans. He stepped up in a huge way, leading the Mavericks to a 111-107 victory over the Warriors.

Irving scored 42 points, and 7 rebounds, going 15-of-25 from the floor and 7-of-10 from three. He also made a crucial defensive play in the final minute to seal the win.

Warriors star Stephen Curry, who finished with 25 points, was quick to praise Irving.

“That’s what great players do,” Curry said. “They respond to adversity. Especially in that first half, we had a couple breakdowns that he took advantage of. That gave him even more life. When he gets going, it’s tough to stop him.”

Stephen Curry talks about Kyrie Irving’s 42-point performance tonight

“That’s what great players do, they respond in all types of adversity.”#MFFL pic.twitter.com/QzU4zY0pyC
— Joey Mistretta (@JoeyMistretta_) February 13, 2025

Irving also shared his admiration for Curry, calling the Warriors superstar one of the “most legendary players of all-time.”

“That’s the guy for us as point guards, outside of Magic, Isaiah Thomas, Steph has etched himself as one of the most legendary players of all-time”, Irving said.

When asked about the clutch performance and team’s inspiring win, Irving credited the crowd for their energy in helping the Mavs.

“Anytime you’re looking for energy, you look to the crowd,” Irving said. “Our fans gave us a spark. It makes a big difference, especially at home. We’ve got to protect our arena. Our fans know that. We’re dealing with a lot, but we have to put our best foot forward.”

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Veteran guard Klay Thompson, who played his third game against his former team this season, called Irving’s performance as “special”.

“That was special,” said Thompson. “That was incredible — 42 and the defensive stop of the night. Yeah, that was incredible. Needed it bad, especially when I didn’t have my best shooting night. That’s our point guard, man. That was ridiculous.”

Irving will now travel to San Francisco to make his ninth All-Star appearance this weekend as the injury replacement for Anthony Davis.

Dallas Mavericks

Golden State Warriors

Kyrie Irving

Stephen Curry

Swati Bhatia

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I work as a content strategist, specializing in creating engaging content about the NBA, WNBA, and MLB. My main focus is on writing breaking news updates, research-based articles, and covering trending topics. Right now, I’m leading the content team for the NBA, WNBA, and MLB categories at Playoffs English.