Dallas Mavericks point guard Kyrie Irving made an incredible hustle play to save a loose ball during Monday night's Game 5 of the NBA Finals, falling over the ESPN broadcast table in the process.
It happened in the final minute of the first half with the Celtics leading the Mavericks 60-44. As Celtics point guard Derrick White was lined up to shoot a 3-point shot, he lost his grip on the ball on the way up. Irving knocked the ball away from , but could not control it as the ball headed towards the sideline in front of the ESPN broadcast crew of Mike Breen, Doris Burke and JJ Redick. Irving did manage to save the ball from going out of bounds, but the ball ended up in the hands of Celtics shooting guard Jaylen Brown, and while the Celtics reset on offense, Irving's momentum carried him past Breen and over the broadcast table.
Kyrie goes into the ESPN broadcast table saving the ball pic.twitter.com/wUxWCewS0L
— CJ Fogler account may or may not be notable (@cjzero) June 18, 2024
NBA players dive into the crowd for loose balls quite frequently, and you have to appreciate the effort, regardless of the result. Fortunately, no one was hurt.
Irving was credited with a steal and a turnover on the play. He finished the first half with 5 points and 5 assists as the Celtics held a comfortable 67-46 lead at halftime.
Moonlighting as a blogger to pursue my interest and enjoyment of sports. Former high school and Division I athlete (now a "retired" family man) that loves watching and discussing all sports. Follow me on Twitter (@HoldoutSports) and like Holdout Sports on Facebook.
