Kyrie Irving surveyed the situation close to the centercourt logo of the Capital One Arena. With 22 ticks left in a tied game, the ball was in his hands anew. All and sundry, including the 20,409 fans on the edge of seats, figured they knew what he would do: milk the clock a bit more to add to the eight seconds already spent on the Celtics’ potentially final possession and then make a play. The formation indicated a drive, with three on the strong side and another in the corner. And, as for most of the contest, John Wall was on his case, but sagging just below the three-point line to best cover for the likely run to the basket.
Needless to say, Irving knew what to do. Seeing the space Wall gave him, he made a move with 20 seconds left, taking a small step forward, and then another — but not to sprint to the basket. Instead, he launched a three from deep. He went for the element of surprise, and he got it, even from his teammates. One other thing he got: an uncontested attempt. To be sure, he was so far from the arc when he took the shot that it carried a higher degree of difficulty. Then again, he was in rhythm, and, more importantly, the same ice water running in his veins that enabled him to score the Celtics’ last seven points gave him all the confidence he needed to decide the outcome either way.
In retrospect, it was, perhaps, only fitting for Irving’s derring-do to be rewarded, and with Wall, who likewise starred for the Wizards, in front of him. After all, the Celtics should have won in regulation had they not suffered from a lapse in coverage late and allowed Bradley Beal to rebound a missed free throw and lay the ball in to force the extra period. Moreover, he saw his hero-ball predilections being rewarded with the contest on the line. His immediate past trey near the corner was more hotly contested.
Interestingly, the tiff didn’t look like it would go down the wire, what with the Celtics missing three key players. As things turned out, the handicap was just what the inconsistent Wizards needed to stay close. Parenthetically, their battles last season were likewise of the see-saw variety; two also required more minutes in order to be resolved. Moving forward, though, it’s clear that the green and white are better positioned to compete than the red and blue. And longtime habitues of the pro scene won’t be wrong to argue that it’s because the former can lean on Irving and the latter can’t.
Anthony L. Cuaycong has been writing Courtside since BusinessWorld introduced a Sports section in 1994.
