Starring: Kyrie debut leads Mavericks to victory over Clippers

LOS ANGELES — Quick possession Kyrie Irving froze a defenseman off guard with a jab and a super-fast change of direction, ushering in a new era of Mavericks basketball.

By the end of the night, it was clear that his new teammates were ready to follow him.

With Irving scoring 24 points and getting a ton of help from just about everyone on the court, the Mavericks pulled off a strong 110-104 victory over the Los Angeles Clippers on Wednesday night at the Crypto.com Arena.

It was the unqualified success of Irving’s debut in the new team. A deal on Monday that saw the superstar guard pay immediate dividends in the form of a seemingly instant bond with his new teammates.

And it seemed quite natural for Irving, and for everyone else, for that matter.

“Dedicated basketball by playing it right,” Irving said. “I told the guys in the dressing room that I liked that we didn’t panic in the last four minutes. We stayed ready. They ran, but we made it difficult.”

And Irving’s confidence in himself, as well as in his teammates, made the evening extra special as Luka Doncic was on the bench cheering for his team, who missed their third game with a bruised heel.

“We were going to make mistakes, so in the first game I just wanted to make sure and my teammates and coaching staff wanted to make sure we didn’t feel any pressure,” Irving said. “And I think the most important thing that we emphasized as a team was not to force the ball on me. We just want to play natural basketball. You don’t always have to come to me.”

Ball movement was exquisite throughout the night as the Mavericks racked up 26 assists and led the entire game.

“They’re just getting used to playing me and seeing how many open shots I can create for them and future double teams,” Irving said. “Our rotations are improving and I’m sure it will be even more enjoyable when #77 returns.”

This is Doncic, who could return Friday to Sacramento.

And the persistence and sense of calm that the Mavericks showed late on was impressive. They only led 98-95 until Dwight Powell made a twisty layup in traffic 3 minutes before the game. Tim Hardaway, Jr. hit the jumper and then Irving scored the next four points as the Mavericks went up 106–97.

All five starting Mavericks scored in double figures, and the team seemed to rally behind Doncic’s new All-Star assistant.

The Mavericks improved to 30-26 and 2-1 on this long tour, which ended with two games against the Kings over the weekend.

The Clippers, who were finishing a 12-day trip that saw them go 4-2, dropped to 31-27, and it looked to everyone that these teams might see each other again, even though the regular season series ended with both . teams win twice.

The Mavericks hit 17 of 35 three-pointers, which certainly helped their cause. Reggie Bullock (18 points) and Hardaway (19 points) were particularly strong at long range.

It was Bullock who hit five 3-pointers in the first quarter as the Mavericks went 41–23 up.

“I think his leadership was shown tonight as far as organizing everyone, knowing how to play when not having the ball, or being able to score by setting goals for his teammates,” coach Jason Kidd said of Irving. “A lot of great things as we build this new journey with him. It will be fun.

“Now are we going to take pictures like we always did tonight? No, but it’s a really good team as far as the Clippers are concerned. We had problems getting 100 points against them. And to score tonight, (we) were able to start the first quarter really well.”

And the Mavericks continue to get help from some underappreciated resources like Theo Pinson. He had nine points and four assists in 15 minutes. His time in Brooklyn with Irving a couple of years ago obviously didn’t hurt.

And all production was reduced to a victory over a hot rival on the road.

“It’s a big deal,” Pinson said of the win over the Clippers. “I’m pretty sure everyone thought we weren’t going to win and we accepted the challenge. I know we added Kairi, but we didn’t have much chemistry. We just wanted to go out and have fun, and when you bring such talent to the team and show dedication, it’s not like give me the ball, give me the ball. It helps us.

“He’s like, yo, go, I want you to do what you do. I know this because I played with him a little in Brooklyn. I told those guys that he will look at you many times like this: go play. They refuse me. Play.”

That’s what the Mavericks did. And although Irving led them at times, they also led him from time to time.

“Leadership is what we talked about,” Kidd said. He is new, but he is a veterinarian. All these guys look up to him. So his voice is important. And they trust him. No matter how much we talk about connectivity, this will be the beginning.”

The message was well received by Irving’s new teammates.

“The coach didn’t want us to try to find him,” said Hardaway, who scored 19 points. “He said go and hoop. And he will find a way to create for others and create for himself. We’ll see when both guys are there. But just fun, running and shooting.

“You’re playing a veteran superstar who owns the ring and has had big moments throughout his career. You must enjoy the moment and seize the opportunity. It was fun there”.

And it will be even more fun when Luka joins the party.

Twitter: @ESefko