Kyrie Irving aims to silence Celtics crowd, 'self-doubt' in Game 5 - ESPN

BOSTON — With his Dallas Mavericks attempting to avoid elimination in the NBA Finals, Kyrie Irving feels the pressure to perform in a road arena that presents uniquely challenging circumstances for him.

After Sunday's practice in preparation for Game 5 on Monday, Irving discussed the villain treatment he has received at TD Garden since his decision to leave the Boston Celtics in free agency five years ago.

Irving struggled in the Mavs' two road losses to open these Finals, averaging 14.0 points on 35.1% shooting, providing plenty of ammunition for a fan base that considers him to be a public enemy.

«I mean, let's just call it what it is,» Irving said. «When the fans are cheering, 'Kyrie sucks,' they feel like they have a psychological edge, and that's fair. Of course, if I'm not making shots or turning the ball over, that makes it even more of a pressing issue that they can stay on me for.

»I think in order to silence even the self-doubt, let alone the crowd doubt, but the self-doubt when you make or miss shots, that's just as important as making sure I'm leading the team the right way and being human through this experience, too, and telling them how I feel."

The Mavs' 122-84 rout to extend the series in Game 4 ended Irving's personal 13-game losing streak to the Celtics, a drought that included a sweep of his Brooklyn Nets in the first round of the 2022 Eastern Conference playoffs.

Before these Finals started, Irving expressed regret for how he reacted to Celtics fans during that 2022 series, specifically flashing his middle finger toward them on a couple of occasions. He had stepped on the eye of the leprechaun in the half-court logo after Brooklyn's Game 4 win in the 2021 East first, a series the Nets won in five