Kyrie Irving's Honest Statement After Clippers vs. Mavericks Game 1

The LA Clippers defeated the Dallas Mavericks in Game 1

The LA Clippers began Sunday afternoon's Game 1 vs. the Dallas Mavericks with a steady diet of Ivica Zubac post-ups. An underrated post player, Zubac does not get many opportunities down low, but is always among the most efficient scorers around the basket.

Finishing with 20 points and 15 rebounds, Zubac was one of the biggest Game 1 stars, which is something the Mavericks were admittedly not prepared for. Speaking with reporters after the game, Mavericks star Kyrie Irving was honest in admitting that Zubac's involvement to start the game surprised them a bit.

"Just being mentally prepared and physically prepared to match his energy," Irving said of Zubac. "Kinda threw us for a little bit of a loop when they started off the game with him posting up. So just gotta make adjustments and keep him off the offensive glass and just make it tough for him on those pick and rolls. Again, just match his energy."

While the Mavericks failed at containing Zubac, Irving feels there were some positive takeaways for them in this game, saying the following:

"Going into the second half I think we really challenged them. I know we outscored them in the second half. We got stops... First half I think they had a few plays that we just weren’t prepared for and we got to take that accountability. And in the second half we picked up the physicality and started demanding that greatness out of ourselves and not being afraid of the moment."

The Clippers are happy with the Game 1 win, but believe they can put together a more complete game on Tuesday night when they host Dallas for Game 2.

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