1. Clutch Gene
There has been much debate over time as to whether or not a “clutch gene” exists. If it does exist, it’s probable that Irving’s ancestors were some of the first to utilize this gene, because Irving is about as clutch as they come.
In Game 3 against the Pistons up five points with just 45.1 seconds to play, the man shot a catch-and-shoot fall-away 3-pointer from behind the backboard … and hit nothing but the bottom of the net.
Irving has a YouTube compilation of go-ahead buckets in the fourth quarter that lasts nearly five minutes. There are so many stats to prove that Irving has always been clutch. For example, he averaged 53.8 points per-48 minutes in the last five minutes of a game with the score within five points, as a rookie.
But the most impressive stat is that Irving is 32-for-32 from the free-throw line in overtime in his entire career, according to Reddit.
Clutch, however, comes on both ends of the floor, and Irving has proven an ability to elevate his defensive game when it matters most as well. One needs to look no further than his play late in the fourth quarter of the Game 1 of the 2015 NBA Finals. Irving helped shut down Steph Curry late in the game and had a block which forced overtime.
With a healthy Irving on the floor for the entire playoffs this time around, the Cavs are in a premier position to make a finals run with one of the premier prime-time playoff performers in the world.
And having LeBron James probably won’t hurt either.
