The Minnesota Timberwolves entered Wednesday night’s first-round matchup against the Los Angeles Lakers with a 3-1 series lead and a prime opportunity to eliminate the Lakers and advance to the second round.
All three of L.A.’s losses in the series have been marred by sluggish fourth-quarter performances, and Sunday’s Game 4 was no exception. The Lakers blew a double-digit lead, ultimately falling 116-113 in a devastating defeat.
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With their backs against the wall, the Lakers faced a must-win game at Crypto.com Arena. Adding to the intrigue, Dallas Mavericks superstar Kyrie Irving, a former teammate of both Luka Doncic and LeBron James, was spotted sitting court side for the matchup.
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Fans reacted to seeing Irving in Los Angeles:
“Supporting the homies !!,” a fan said.
“Put him in. Even with a newly repaired ACL, he’s better than most of the Lakers’ roster,” another fan jokingly posted.
“Alright let’s not embarrass ourselves tonight @Lakers,” someone else added.
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One more fan commented, “Kai supporting his Hermano!!”
Dallas Mavericks guard Kyrie Irving looks on during the first quarter against the Brooklyn Nets.© Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images
Roughly a month after the Mavericks made the unexpected move of trading Luka Doncic—one of Kyrie Irving’s closest friends on the team—to the Lakers, Irving suffered a torn ACL on March 3, effectively ending his season with Dallas.
Just under a year ago, Irving played a pivotal role alongside Doncic in leading the Mavericks to the NBA Finals, where they were ultimately defeated by the Boston Celtics.
Earlier in his career, during his time with LeBron James in Cleveland from 2014-2017, Irving played in three NBA Finals, all against the Golden State Warriors.
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In 2016, the duo secured one of the most historic championships in NBA history, famously becoming the only team to ever come back from a 3-1 deficit in the Finals. Irving’s iconic three-pointer in Game 7 remains one of the most memorable shots in NBA lore.
Related: Luka Doncic Sends Seven-Word Message to Kyrie Irving After Devastating News
