"This Is Their Super Bowl. It's Just A Normal Game For Us" - Kyrie Irving Couldn't Resist Talking All Sorts Of Shit Only To Puke All Over Himself And Give The Wolves Life

Jesse D. Garrabrant. Getty Images.

Ahead of Game 4 during the Mavs warmups, Kyrie Irving couldn't help but be confident

and it's not exactly a secret as to why. Up 3-0, teams being 154-0 when the find themselves in that situation, coming off a big Game 3 win and a perfect 14-0 career record in closeout games, I'm not going to clown Kyrie for talking like that as he prepared. In fact, when I first heard it I thought it was actually a pretty cold line. 

The issue of course, is that when Kyrie had his chance to back that talk up with a dominant closeout performance and a ticket punched to the NBA Finals, instead he threw up an absolute stinker in what ended up being a Game 4 loss. Just a brutal night on both ends of the floor

including one of the more bizarre turnovers (had 4 total) down 5 in the final 30 seconds that you'll ever see

That's tough. Both Kyrie and Luka were a combined 4-12 (1-6) in the 4th quarter, and for the first time this series the Mavs couldn't find a way to execute down the stretch. I'm all for being confident and talking your shit, but that requires you to then go out and back it up. Everyone killed Ant for calling out Kyrie before the series and then getting destroyed, well this was Kyrie's version. You can't be talking about how it's just any other game and then lay a stinker like you're playing a random game in January. Not when a spot in the Finals is on the line.

And while NBA history is still very much on the Mavs side, what this game did do is give the Wolves life. Just the smallest bit of confidence can swing a series, and at the very worst at least now you're tacking on more miles ahead of the Finals. As someone who directly benefits from something like that, I hope this shit goes 7. At the very least let's get this back to Dallas for a Game 6.

To do that, the Wolves are going to need another performance like we saw in Game 4 from their stars

Finally, KAT started making his 3s, which honestly saved the Wolves season. His little mini-run in the 4th quarter before Scott Foster fouled him out was gigantic, and without that small separation, the Mavs most likely pull this game out. Think of what things look like without those KAT 3s and then this dropping

Playoff basketball often comes down to a make here and there, which is what makes it so awesome.

We also shouldn't overlook Ant's huge long two jumper right before that prayer. The moment needed him to step up and bury the dagger, and he delivered.

For the first time in this series, it felt like the Wolves played like the Wolves, even with their faults. Holding the Mavs to 42/35% and only 100 points, owned the glass and points in the paint battle, they played like the desperate team with their season on the line, and the Basketball Gods rewarded them for it.

I am curious though, does this mean we now have to do the whole "Should the Mavs actually be down 3-1?" routine? I'm to believe that's how these things work right? No? I guess we'll have to wait and see.

At the end of the day, the Mavs are still in a great spot. Winning on the road isn't foreign to them, but the longer they screw around the more and more doubt will start to creep in. Next thing you know, you find yourself in a Game 7 where a sprained ankle on the very first play of the game can ultimately end your season.