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Kyrie Irving to make AAC debut for the Mavericks
The Mavs take on the Minnesota Timberwolves Monday night. Before the game Kyrie Irving talked about what it will mean to him to play in front of the home crowd.
DALLAS - Dallas Mavericks fans will have a chance to see new star Kyrie Irving in a Mavs uniform for the first time on Monday night.
Irving and the Mavericks are playing the Minnesota Timberwolves at 7:30 p.m. in a crucial game for seeding in the jam-packed Western Conference.
Irving has played in 3 games for the Mavericks since he was traded from the Nets on Feb. 5.
Kyrie Irving timeline: The highs, the lows and the controversies
SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA - FEBRUARY 10: Kyrie Irving #2 of the Dallas Mavericks turns to drive to the basket and gets fouled by Terence Davis #3 of the Sacramento Kings during the fourth quarter at Golden 1 Center on February 10, 2023 in Sacramento, Ca …
Kyrie arrived at the AAC around 4 p.m.
The Mavs have seemed energized since the trade.
Dallas has posted a 2-1 record in games with Irving. He is averaging 25.7 points per game in those contests.
The challenge now is to find the new chemistry that's necessary to succeed when both Luka and Kyrie are on the floor at the same time.
Both players are used to handling the ball a lot, obviously only one at a time can do that now.
Irving says he's excited to be in front of the home fans.
"Thinking about the home crowd, I'm just excited to experience it. It is one thing to be here as an opponent, but it is another thing to be here as a home player, to get introduced, feel the community love, just meet new people," said Irving at a news conference Monday. "I'm sure that the expectation is heightened as much as it is for me to just get out there and let my game do the speaking and connect with the fans and community as we build relationships moving forward. Looking forward to it."
Kings beat Mavericks 133-128 in OT
This is the third meeting between the Mavs and T'Wolves this year.
The Mavericks won the last meeting between the teams 104-99 on Dec. 22.
The Mavs are currently sitting at 31-27, good for fourth in the Western Conference. The Timberwolves are 30-29 and sitting in eighth in the conference.