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[Saba Sports News] Kyrie Irving struggled in Game 1 of the NBA Finals against the Boston Celtics, but the Dallas Mavericks star downplayed the impact of the home crowd on his poor performance, stating he expected a rowdier environment.
The Celtics dominated the Mavericks 107-89 on Thursday at TD Garden in Boston. Irving scored just 12 points, shooting 6-of-19 from the field and missing all five three-point attempts.
In the postgame press conference, Irving commented that the crowd of nearly 20,000 was tamer than he anticipated.
“Over the past few years, just experiencing the playoffs here and even the regular season, it’s been the same thing. I thought it was gonna be a little louder in here, but I’m expecting the same things going into Game 2 — the crowd trying to get me out of my element, my teammates out of their (element),” Irving said. “But, again, the energy’s gotta be focused toward the game.”
Irving’s history with the Celtics is tense, as he spent two seasons in Boston from 2017 to 2019 and left after initially stating he planned to re-sign. The relationship between Irving and Celtics fans has been strained since.
If the TD Garden crowd was less enthusiastic than Irving expected, it was likely due to the lopsided nature of the game. Aside from one run early in the second half, the Mavericks struggled. Irving’s performance in Game 1 suggests he still has much to figure out when dealing with hostile environments.