On Friday night, the Dallas Mavericks faced off against the Boston Celtics in Massachusetts. The Mavs suffered a decisive defeat, losing 138-110. Jayson Tatum showcased his prowess, leading the Celtics with 32 points, eight rebounds, and three assists. He shot an impressive 10/19 from the field and 5/9 from beyond the arc.

Kyrie Irving‘s return to Boston always garners significant attention, given his two-season stint with the Celtics. The 2016 NBA Champion wrapped up the evening with 19 points, four rebounds, and two assists. He shot 9/23 from the field and 1/7 from beyond the arc during his 37 minutes on the court.

He was also heckled by the fans in the arena, adding to the intensity of his return.

Irving wrote:

“Thank you for everything, GOD.

“I gotta stay poised and accept all the tests on this journey. The wins, the losses, and the emotional moments are lessons to grow from. 

“No matter what, I gotta keep persevering through the Hate, the next generation is watching closely.

In his second season with Dallas, Irving is maintaining impressive averages of 25.7 points, 5.1 rebounds, 5.1 assists, and 1.2 steals per game. He’s shooting efficiently at 49.1% from the field and 41.8% from beyond the arc across 38 games.

With the loss, the Mavericks’ record stands at 34-26 after 60 games, placing them as the eighth seed in the Western Conference. Despite this setback, they maintain a strong recent record of 7-3 in their last ten games. Their next challenge awaits on Sunday as they host the Philadelphia 76ers.