When asked how he prepares to defend Mavericks guard Kyrie Irving, New Orleans Pelicans coach Willie Green said: “Pray.”
Other than some divine intervention, Green knows Irving creates all sorts of problems for opposing defenses. And it’s not easy trying to corral one of the game’s best players.
When Green was an assistant with Golden State from 2016-19, the Warriors met the Cleveland Cavaliers in the 2017 and ’18 NBA Finals. Irving was playing with the Cavs at the time, and although the Warriors won both of those series, Green remembers Irving giving Golden State fits.
“I had a chance to watch him up close in person,” Green said. “He’s one of the best finishers.
“Sometimes you feel like his shot is blocked, and he figures out a way to maneuver and finish. He’s a fantastic basketball player. You just got to make it tough on him.”
Irving tallied 33 points on 12-of-27 shots Saturday, but the Pelicans were able to emerge from American Airlines Center with a 118-108 victory over the Mavs. And Green walked away still impressed with what Irving was able to accomplish.
“He’s going to catch the ball where he wants to,” Green said. “He’s going to get shots.
“You’ve got to try to take it out of his hands as much as you can and make every shot tough. He’s one of the best I’ve seen.”
When an out-of-town reporter asked Mavs coach Jason Kidd what’s making it work for Irving in Dallas when it didn’t work for him in his other NBA stops, Kidd said: “I wouldn’t say it didn’t work in other places. Unfortunately, injuries are a part of it. Sometimes an injury can ruin something, or your foot on the line, so you don’t get to the finish line.
“But I think when you talk about at peace, just understanding that he’s at peace here and he really has enjoyed his time since the trade. He’s been a leader in that locker room on and off the floor, and so as a coach it’s been fun to be around.”
By the way, Irving buried the series-clinching jumper when the Cavs defeated the Warriors in seven games to claim the 2016 NBA title.
SAME TEAM, SAME CITY: Both Mavs coach Jason Kidd and Pelicans coach Willie Green are in favor of playing the same team in the same city in a three-day span
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In this case, after the Mavs hosted the Pelicans on Saturday, the two clubs will square off again on Monday at 1:30 p.m. in Dallas.
“The biggest thing about it is we don’t have to travel,” Green said. That helps you. I think it helps both teams get rest.
“The second thing is It gives you kind of a playoff experience. You get an opportunity to play a team, then you get a chance to adjust on what you want to different the next game.”
That adjustment worked in the Pelicans’ favor earlier this season when the Mavs played in New Orleans on Nov. 12 and Nov 14. The Mavs won the former game, 136-124, and the Pelicans recuperated and captured the latter game, 131-110.
“I think the baseball schedule is great,” Kidd said. “It’s probably needed when you talk about the travel. I think it helps both teams.”
BRIEFLY: Saturday was the first time Mavs forward Maxi Kleber has played since the Nov. 8 home game against Toronto. Kleber has been dealing with a small right toe dislocation, and coach Jason Kidd noted he’s thrilled Kleber is available to play again. “Just his basketball IQ,” Kidd said. “His ability to guard one through five, his ability to stretch the defense, and then just his positive energy when he’s on the bench or on the floor. We miss that. We got a little bit bigger. We’ve been small here of late. If he’s healthy and he’s shooting the three, he helps us in a big way. We’re just happy to have him back.” Kleber finished Saturday’s game with two points and two rebounds in 11 minutes, and was 1-of-3 from the field. . .After playing and losing in Denver on Friday night, 125-113, the Pelicans arrived at their Dallas hotel Saturday morning at 4:30. “I slept well,” New Orleans coach Willie Green said. “As soon as I got to the hotel I was out, so I had a good night’s rest.”. .Green has been impressed with Mavs forward Tim Hardaway Jr., who is in the running to win this year’s Sixth Man Award. “He does a great job of feeding off the gravity of either Luka (Dončić) or Kyrie (Irving) when they’re in the game,” Green said. “And he’s a shot-maker. He can get shots in a variety of different ways. He can attack the basket, too, and get to the paint.”. . .On the Mavs’ ability to push the pace and create fast break opportunities, Kidd said: “We talked about it at the beginning of the season of playing fast on makes or misses. It probably helped, too, that we’re smaller, so we have no choice but to run once we get the rebound, or on makes.”
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