"I know that irked you" - Charles Barkley quips on Anthony Edwards' call out to Kyrie Irving

Charles Barkley quipped on Anthony Edwards' challenge for Kyrie Irving after the Mavericks stole Game 1 of the Western Conference finals with a 108-105 win. Irving had a monster night, giving a fitting response to Edwards, who said he would take on the Mavs guard after beating the reigning champions Denver Nuggets in seven games.

"My matchup [is] going to be Kyrie," Edwards said. "So that's going to be fun. We're going to see what I can do versus him."

However, that statement didn't age well. Irving ran circles around a fatigued Edwards, bagging 30 points and four assists, shooting 12 of 23. Edwards guarded Irving for 7:13 minutes. The Mavericks star had eight points on 4 of 7 shots with an assist. As Irving appeared on TNT's panel alongside "Inside The NBA" crew, Barkley mentioned Edwards' comments to the 2016 NBA champion, saying:

"Kyrie, you're at home, minding your business the other night ... Just chilling, probably having a nice meal and then the young fella [Anthony Edwards] says, 'I got Kyrie,' ... That's the most aggressive you've been in a long time, I know that had to irk you a little bit."

Kyrie Irving dropped 24 points in the first half alone. He was the sole reason Dallas didn't fall behind big after an inefficient start, shooting only 2 of 13 from 3 and trailing by nine points at one point before trimming the deficit to three at halftime.

Irving went 11 of 14 in that stretch, which was critical as Luka Doncic had a subpar outing in the first 24 minutes. Doncic scored 14 points but made only 42.9% of his shots.

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Kyrie Irving admits Anthony Edwards' comment ignited fiery Game 1 outing

Kyrie Irving remains one of the league's elite scorers, who has only improved with time. He is one of the toughest covers because of his three-level scoring efficiency, nifty handles and pace. Several of the NBA's top defenders have admitted how difficult it is to limit the Mavs star.

However, Anthony Edwards seemed unfazed when he announced taking over the challenge of guarding Irving. While everyone told Edwards he was barking up the wrong tree, the 22-year-old maintained his composure, which didn't fare well.

Irving admitted after Wednesday's Game 1 that his counterpart's comments motivated him to do better. He also lauded Edwards' confidence, saying he loved the fearless mentality of the rising star.

"As a peer, I love that," Kyrie Irving said. "It’s nothing better. When Ant was a little younger, I’m sure he was watching me. When he was in high school, I was watching him. It’s more of those exciting matchups that I look forward to. Right after the game (Game 7 vs. Nuggets), it was funny because he said it.

"I think the whole world was looking like, ‘Ok, you better know what you’re talking about, Ant.’ I respect that, and that no fear mentality."

The Mavericks hope Kyrie Irving can continue being this aggressive. They've been too dominant when he gets going in tandem with Luka Doncic. Game 1 was a testament to that, and it will be critical to the team's chances of prevailing against Minnesota and making a finals appearance.