Dallas Mavericks star Kyrie Irving clapped back at Boston Celtics fans with a hand gesture where he held up all five fingers many times.

The underlying message is that the Mavericks will be back at TD Garden for Game 5 after the Celtics won the first two games of the NBA Finals on their home court.

Dallas would have to lose both of the next two games of the championship series, both at American Airlines Center, to not return to Boston.

Irving played for the Celtics from 2017-2019 and his sudden exit for the rival Brooklyn Nets has made him a pariah in Boston.

During Irving’s exit off the court, Boston’s fans were chanting at him and he is an obvious target. That led to Irving throwing up his hand as he proceeded into the tunnel.

Kyrie Irving put up his hand many times after Sunday’s Game 2 loss for the Mavericks

Irving played for the Celtics from 2017 to 2019 and went for the rival Brooklyn Nets

Kyrie Irving was letting the Celtics supporters know the Mavs will be back for Game 5 👀 pic.twitter.com/4nrgh7zuks

— Hoops (@HoopMixOnly) June 10, 2024

During Game 1 of the NBA Finals on Thursday, Irving posted a game-worst -19 in plus-minus. He scored 12 points in 37 minutes in the series opener.

Irving only had a -3 in plus-minus in a 16-point performance during Sunday’s Game 2 loss.

Those performances are below the bar Irving has set for himself, especially playing with Luka Doncic.

Irving has won an NBA title before in his career, partnering LeBron James, with the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2016.

Now at 32, the back-half of Irving’s career is well beginning and the opportunities he will have at championships will only get less.

Dallas will have to defeat Boston in four of the next five games to raise a trophy this season.

Doing that against a roster with Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown and others looks to be a major assignment, especially with at least one more game coming at TD Garden to pull off a series win for the Mavericks.