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Kyrie Irving · For even the game’s most celebrated perimeter defenders, the list of scenarios that one hopes to avoid runs quite long when it comes to going toe-to-toe with Kyrie Irving. Given the unenviable assignment of slowing Irving’s first-half avalanche, Jrue Holiday found himself tasked with dealing with a couple of them, often at the same time. In search for the type of performance needed to avoid a troubling 0-3 series deficit, the eight-time All-Star channels a celebrated, go-to isolation move on the big stage, selling a left-sided drive attempt flawlessly before balancing into a smooth stepback 3-pointer. Irving’s sensational 20-point opening half helped breathe temporary life into the Mavericks’ hopes, even despite falling agonizingly short of a Game Three victory over the Boston Celtics. On a night in which Dallas nearly pulled off one of the greatest come-from-behind efforts in NBA Finals history — a 22-2 run that brought them within a single point with just three-and-a-half minutes to go — Irving’s performance helped charge the valiant showing on June 12, 2024. On his way to tying his franchise’s single-game Finals scoring record, the Dallas Mavericks star turned in 35 points, three rebounds, two assists, and four 3-pointers. · State of Mint