ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith calls Doncic-Irving the ‘scariest’ duo in the NBA over Murray-Jokic

With roughly a month to play before the playoffs, the Mavericks are currently sitting at 39-29 as the seventh seed in the Western Conference. Despite not being the most threatening squad in the league, or even a true-title contender, the partnership between Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving is definitely one the most dangerous duos out there. 

Sunday’s impressive 107-105 victory over the Nuggets included a memorable buzzer-beating shot by Kyrie that has many NBA experts wondering who’s the most talented player in the league. F or example, Stephen A. Smith doesn’t believe Jamal Murray and Nikola Jokic are the NBA’s most-feared pair.

“I’m going to go with Kyrie [Irving] and Luka [Doncic] as the scariest,” said the ESPN icon. “I didn’t say better – I know Jokic and Murray are better. But Kyrie and Luka, when you consider what they’re capable of doing… the explosion that’s imminent from game to game, there should be nothing that’s more scarier than that.”

KYRIE CALLS GAME 🔥🔥

WOW. pic.twitter.com/50O3mn0vrG

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) March 17, 2024

The insider knows that the Dallas co-stars aren’t always on the same page, but when they are, there is no stopping them. “When those two get rolling, you can’t stop them,” Smith insisted.

Irving’s driving hook shot from 21 feet not only gave him 24 points in total or the Mavericks their 39th win of the campaign, but also the confidence he needs to contribute to his squad’s playoff push.

“I thought I got a little closer in the paint but when I looked at it after the game, I was pretty far out,” the player said of his late winner. “[Those are] shots that I work on and just being ambidextrous and being able to trust the skills that I work on when no one is watching and fortunate enough, it went in tonight.”

The veteran guard then described his thought process before the clutch play. “The majority of it is instinctual,” Irving revealed. “It comes from preparation again for hours that no one sees. I saw Jokic taking away my pull-up going left. I had hit one or two tonight so I knew he was going to come up, but I didn’t know he was going to commit like that.

“He was forcing me inside the 3-point line and as soon as I felt him behind me, I was like ‘Oh, I have my left hand [and] it’s wide open, so why not go to it?’ And that’s the way I saw it.”

Jay Williams called Kyrie the ‘most skilled player in the history of basketball’ after his clutch shot vs. Nuggets

As the Mavericks beat the reigning champions with Irving’s hook shot, the entire NBA world dedicated praise for the veteran guard. While Damian Lillard said the player’s talent was like none other in the league, Jay Williams took it to another level.

“The most skilled player in the history of basketball,” Williams said convinced of his words on Get Up. “Come at me [and] say whatever the hell you want, there is no player in the game of basketball as skilled [as Irving].”

His own teammates were in awe once the game was over. “I couldn’t believe it. I don’t think people realize how tough of a shot that is,” Doncic said postgame, excited over the last-second play.

For Kyrie however, it has nothing to do with individual stats. “Championship is the ultimate goal. So, that’s what we’re playing for,” he said, he hopes to conquer the franchise’s first championship since 2011.