Boston Celtics: 3 regular season goals for Kyrie Irving in 2018-19
By Ryan Feyre
2. Take charge in the fourth quarter
It was tough to watch the Boston Celtics fall apart in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Finals because of abnormally poor shooting. Part of that had to do with Boston shooting 17 percent from three, the other has to do with Irving sidelined with his leg injury. Just imagine if Kyrie was healthy and starting in that fourth quarter. With Tatum leading the team with 24 points and seven rebounds in that game, and Boston only scoring 79 in all, Irving could have been that other go-to scorer.
Irving showed countless times throughout the 2017 regular season how he was the actual “Mr. Fourth Quarter.” Comeback wins against the Houston Rockets, Dallas Mavericks, and Atlanta Hawks only solidified that notion. In clutch situations, Irving was one of the best, averaging 24.1 points per game on 50 percent shooting in those high pressure scenarios, according to NBA stats.
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Let’s not forget the amazing three he hit over Steph Curry in Game Seven on the 2016 NBA Finals too, when Cleveland finally won their long-awaited title. Irving also scored over 40 points in Game Five of that series, starting a three-game run that was one for the record books.
Scoring should not be as much of an issue with the Boston Celtics this year, especially since Tatum and Brown continue to grow, and Hayward is now added to the equation. Having Irving for the final quarter is really necessary though, especially when the bench may stagnate,as it did countless times throughout the 2017 season.