BOSTON — Boston Celtics star Kyrie Irving said Memphis Grizzlies guard Shelvin Mack shouted “something pretty disrespectful” that led to a heated third-quarter exchange between the two players.
Irving and Mack were hit with double technicals for the flareup and the usually composed Irving was clearly heated about what Mack said to him as teammates stepped between the two to prevent further escalation.
"I mean, [Mack] said something pretty disrespectful. So I told him to do something about it,” said Irving. "He didn’t. Obviously, we’re in an NBA basketball game. If it gets to that point, I mean, I don’t usually get techs like that. But if someone questions your manhood, at that point, you got no choice.”
Irving scored 20 third-quarter points to fuel Boston’s 38-point outburst in the frame. Irving produced a monster night overall with 38 points, 11 assists, and 7 rebounds as Boston emerged with a 122-116 triumph at TD Garden.
Asked about his second-half outburst, Irving said, "Just being aggressive. Just trying to create opportunities for my teammates and myself.”
☘️CELTICS 122, GRIZZLIES 116
Irving’s backcourt partner, Marcus Smart, likewise had a hot hand, chipping in 20 points on 7-of-9 shooting while making six of the eight 3-pointers he hoisted. Irving and Smart combined for 58 points while shooting 70 percent overall while making 10 of 14 3-point attempts.
But even Smart knew where the ball should go when Irving got hot.
"I'm thinking and i know everyone else is, 'Oh my God, here he goes' and 'Here we go again,’” said Smart. "For us as a team, we have to let Kyrie be Kyrie. Sometimes you don't need to go set a screen and you just have to let him create on his own and be ready to shoot the ball when he gets it to you.”
Added Smart: "It means a lot [to have a weapon like Irving]. It's big for us, especially for our offense, just with the simple fact that you are going to get open shots because he draws so much attention. That helps our team because everyone is out here shooting the ball well and playing the game very well. As long as we stay ready for him, this team should be OK.”
Irving became the first Celtics player to score 27+ points and add 11+ assists in consecutive games since Larry Bird accomplished the feat in February 1986.
Over his last two games, Irving is averaging 32.5 points on 62.5 percent shooting with 14.5 assists and 6 rebounds. All this while his leadership has been in the spotlight for much of the week.
“Leadership starts with what you do on the court -- he was pretty damn good on Wednesday night -- and then it’s how you serve your teammates and then everything else is what it is,” Celtics coach Brad Stevens said before Friday’s game. "Everything else follows suits from those two things.”
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