Luka Doncic hypes Kyrie Irving's emphatic dunk in hilarious shoutout 

Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving's camaraderie goes well beyond the basketball court, and the proof is in the pudding. The former took to Instagram for a hilarious shoutout to Irving, who had another explosive dunk during the Dallas Mavericks' 113-97 win over the Utah Jazz, at the American Airlines Center on Thursday.

Irving, not one to go about dunking throughout the season, pulled off his fourth dunk this season and this saw Doncic give him quite the compliment.

Taking to his Instagram stories, Doncic had a crisp caption for a clip of Irving's dunk:

"Young legs @kyrieirving"

Luka Doncic hypes Kyrie Irving's emphatic dunk in hilarious shoutout

Irving is the oldest of the two and at 31, is widely regarded as one of the best ball-handlers and lethal shooters in the league. The former NBA champion has been the perfect partner for the Slovenian superstar as the Mavs look to make the playoffs after a disappointing finish last season.

Luka Doncic had a 34-point outing against Utah that included nine rebounds and eight assists. Irving chipped in with 16 points, five rebounds and seven assists. Center Daniel Gafford had a solid outing with 24 points and seven boards.

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"He expects a lot out of himself": Kyrie Irving on Luka Doncic's mindset before each game

Earlier, Kyrie Irving shared his support for teammate Luka Doncic when the 24-year-old had a relatively quiet evening against the San Antonio Spurs. Doncic still had a triple-double with 18 points, 16 assists and 10 rebounds, but shot a paltry 6-for-27 from the floor and 2-for12 from beyond the arc. Irving, who had 28 points that game, heaped praise on the guard:

"We expect a lot of Luka; he expects a lot of himself. The guy is hungry to be perfect every single night, and I admire that. But he’s human, just like the rest of us. And when he’s not able to hit shots that he normally makes, we’ve got to pick him up."

This season, Dallas has been one of the teams expected to make the playoffs, and the win on Thursday puts them as the sixth seed, albeit temporarily. What they can't do is afford another loss, especially with the Phoenix Suns winning on Thursday as well and having their next two games against the Spurs.

Luka Doncic has been on a tear this season averaging 34.1 points, 9.0 rebounds, and 9.8 assists. His last five games sees him average 27.4 points, 8.8 rebounds, and 10.0 assists. Doncic's form is crucial along with Irving's if the Mavs stand a chance to make the playoffs by avoiding the Play-In.