Ice Cold Close Out Kyrie
Kyrie Irving has helped lead the Dallas Mavericks back to the Western Conference Finals, and in doing so he has extended one of the most impressive streaks in NBA history. Any avid NBA fan has heard of Game 6 Klay, but it’s time to make Close Out Kai a household name.
NBA fans have come to know the name “Game 6 Klay” — a nickname given to Klay Thompson for his legendary performances in game 6s to either win the series for the Warriors, or extend the series to a game 7. The legend of Game 6 Klay was born during the Golden State Warriors’ epic 3-1 series comeback against the Oklahoma City Thunder in the 2016 Western Conference Finals. In Game 6 of that series Thompson erupted for 41 points, hitting an NBA Playoff record 11 three pointers.
For his career, Klay Thompson averages 19.3 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 1.6 assists on 40.6/43.0/87.5 shooting splits in 15 career Game 6 performances, which has translated into a 10-5 record for the Warriors in those games. And many of these performances have been nothing short of spectacular (vs the Thunder in 2016, vs the Rockets in 2018 and 2019, vs the Grizzlies in 2022). But as legendary as Game 6 Klay has been, the 2024 NBA Playoffs are bringing attention to another legend who shows up in pivotal moments: Close Out Kai.
Kyrie’s best close out game came in the 2016 Eastern Conference Finals Game 6 where he put up 30 points on 50/50/80 shooting, and grabbed 4 rebounds while dishing out 9 assists.
A close out game in the NBA Playoffs is when a team has 3 wins and is playing a game to win, or close out, the series. This past Saturday night the Dallas Mavericks faced off against the Oklahoma City Thunder in Game 6 of the Western Conference Semifinals, a close out game for the Mavericks, who led the series 3-2. At the 5:36 mark in the fourth quarter Thunder guard Jalen Williams came off a pick-and-roll and threw a beautiful lob to Chet Holmgren to give the Thunder a 101-97 lead. Coming into this game, through the Mavericks’ first 11 games in the 2024 playoffs, the team that reached 100 points first had gone on to win the game — a 10 game streak of such games. But there was also a contrasting streak on the line Saturday night. Coming into the game Kyrie Irving was a career 13-0 in close out games in his NBA Playoff career. Over the next 5:36 the Mavericks would outscore the Thunder 20-15 to win the game 117-116, extending Irving’s close out record to a perfect 14-0.
During the 2023-2024 regular season Irving shot an outstanding 49.7/41.1/90.5, falling 0.3% short on field goal shooting percentage of becoming the fifteenth player in NBA history to have a 50-40-90 shooting season. These shooting splits made Irving the best shooter in the NBA this season. This level consistency also gave this young talented Mavericks’ roster a mature veteran presence on the court to look to when things got hectic. And that presence is never more necessary that when it comes time to win a playoff series.
Irving’s 14 game close out win streak without a lost is the longest such streak in NBA history. In fact there has never been another player to each 10 close out wins without a loss, making it one of the most impressive individual win streaks in the history of the league. In his 14 close out games, Irving averages 23.1 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 4.2 assists on 47.4/39.8/81.0 shooting splits. These stats are near identical to his playoff career averages of 23.0 points, 3.7 rebounds, and 4.2 assists on 45.8/40.0/88.6 shooting splits.
Irving’s best close out game came in the 2016 Eastern Conference Finals Game 6 where he put up 30 points on 50/50/80 shooting, and grabbed 4 rebounds while dishing out 9 assists. But his most infamous close out game performance came in the 2016 NBA Finals when he hit the game-winning shot to complete the 3-1 series comeback, upset the 73 win Warriors, and help Lebron James bring the Larry O’Brien trophy to the Cleveland Cavaliers for the first time in franchise history.
With their win on Saturday night, the Dallas Mavericks have returned to the Western Conference Finals for the first time since 2022. And if they want to win their second championship in franchise history, Close Out Kai will have to show up two more times this postseason.
