Duke Blue Devils: Irving Finds Efficiency in Game 2
Former Duke Blue Devils point guard Kyrie Irving is having another adventure with efficiency against the Indiana Pacers.
When it comes to the Duke Blue Devils in the NBA Playoffs, one name stands out before any others. That would be former Duke point guard Kyrie Irving. Irving has become a star in the NBA by acting as LeBron James’ wing man and at times providing the needed firepower. Except sometimes he starts slow in the playoffs. Which he did last year until it finally mattered in the NBA Finals.
Therefore, the sooner that Irving appears to show some consistency on the court the better. Enter Games 1 and 2 against the Indiana Pacers. Irving once again displayed the frustrating ups and downs that we thought he had overcome at this point while playing the East’s seventh seeded team.
In Game 1, Irving scored twenty-three points. That seems like a good output, but it came despite the lack of two things that made him so deadly in last year’s Finals. That would be three point shots and foul shots. Irving went 0 of 9 from the big line and only took a single missed shot from the charity stripe. The Cavs barely escaped the Pacers in game 1, and yet the game should not have been that close.
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Game 2 was played last night. Did Game 2 change anything for Irving? Yes. Game 2 was a far more efficient game from Kyrie. He shot three fewer shots and made three more. He actually got to the line for five points. He went 4 of 10 from three, a big difference from the goose egg of game 1. That boosted those twenty-three points to thirty-seven points and the Cavs won by six.
Cleveland is still leaving these games uncomfortably close, but they are up 2-0 in the series and there are no such things as style points. I have to wonder if we’ll notice when the Cavs turn it on, or if this is what they are satisfied with. This is the Eastern Conference after all.
Irving and the Cavs are on the road for Game 3 on Thursday.