NBA All-Star GAMEDAY: Mavs' Luka Doncic, Kyrie Irving Ready to Shine
After an exciting Saturday night, which featured Philadelphia 76ers' Mac McClung bringing the Dunk Contest back from the dead, the main event is now set to take place on Sunday with all the stars aligning on a single court.
The 2023 NBA All-Star Game will commence at Vivint Arena in Salt Lake City tonight, and the Dallas Mavericks' fanbase has a lot to look forward to, as both Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving are All-Star starters – a first in team history.
"It's just fun, you know," Doncic said of experiencing his fourth All-Star Weekend. "I appreciate being here. Not a lot of people can say they're an All-Star, you know, All-Star multiple times. So I'm really excited to be here."
Once the All-Star festivities are over, a refreshed duo of Doncic and Irving will look to get the Mavs back on track during the final 22 games of the regular season. Dallas is currently sixth in the West with a six-game homestand coming up. The star duo has performed well statistically, but now they need to translate that into wins.
As far as feeling comfortable with his surroundings, though, we're going to go out on a limb and say Irving is in a good place right now.
Stay tuned to DallasBasketball.com for all updates regarding the NBA All-Star Game LIVE from Salt Lake City!
FUN FACT: In case you missed it, "Luka Magic" has already made its presence felt in Salt Lake City. During All-Star practice, Doncic saw the 76ers' mascot taking no-look half-court shots with its back turned away from the basket and took that as a challenge.
WHEN: Sunday, Feb. 19, 2023 - 6:30 p.m. CT
WHERE: Vivint Arena (Salt Lake City, UT)
TV: TNT/TBS
MVP ODDS: LeBron James is the favorite to win the 2023 All-Star Game MVP with +550 odds. Luka Doncic is tied with Joel Embiid for the fourth-best odds at +850.
FINAL WORD: "I just would love questions that don't make me give the same regurgitated answers that everyone else is giving at times," Irving said at an All-Star media session. "I love questions that go deeper into the nuances of the game and break it down in a way that just isn't talking about the trendy narratives that are around certain players."
If that's truly the case, Kyrie, then you might have found a new best friend with DallasBasketball.com.
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