The Dallas Mavericks are in the second round of the playoffs thanks to Kyrie Irving going off in the second half tonight. To PJ Washington, it was like watching Kobe Bryant on the court today. Game 6 of the Mavs-Clippers series concluded with a 114-101 Dallas win, eliminating the Clippers. Most of it is owed to Irving who made 28 of his 30 points in the second half alone. And after the amazing leadership he’s shown in the previous games, tonight cemented what Kyrie is bringing to Dallas.

“Unbelievable,” PJ Washington said in the post-game presser to accurately describe Irving’s latest breakout season since suiting up for the Mavs. “It’s like 2K. He had a Mamba takeover.” To give off 2000 playoffs Kobe Bryant vibes in a series, that’s unparalleled.

Then 21-year-old Kobe Bryant had, to summarize, a series. The Los Angeles Lakers went through Sacramento and Phoenix and had a 2-1 lead over Portland in the Western Conference Finals when Bryant stepped up with 18 points, 7 assists, and 4 rebounds. He was instrumental in leading the team to the Finals despite nursing a sprained ankle. The Lakers won the first two games against the Pacers in the Finals without Bryant and lost Game 3.

To secure the lead, Bryant stepped on the court, still injured when Shaquille O’Neal was fouled out. Bryant led the game into overtime and made the game-winning shot in the end. The Lakers would go on to win the championship in six games, the first of Bryant’s five.

That very energy of carrying the team when necessary was exuded by Kyrie Irving throughout the series. While everyone is trying to nudge him to reunite with LeBron James in Kobe’s old team, Irving is proving to be the perfect fit in Dallas, well described by PJ Washington.

PJ Washington is staying on Kyrie Irving’s good side

Game 5 saw Irving pull a coast-to-coast, left-handed layup and shouting defensive plays to his team. The reactions that elicited took over the NBA community online. Game 6 was the decider thanks to Irving again.

“He was doing what he does. He was special. And I’m just glad to be on his team,” Washington said because who would want to be that guy’s rival? Playing with Kyrie leaves Washington awestruck every single time for the right reasons. Washington takes special inspiration from his teammates and plays his role going forward in the postseason.

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The Mavs face the top-seeded Oklahoma City Thunder next led by MVP contender, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. They’re obviously counting on Kyrie Irving to manifest 2k Kobe and come in clutch in the next series too.