Irving had faith in his team. His teammates had convinced him they would be wrapping this series up in six. In backing up their word by executing the plan, it gave Irving some much-needed extra recovery time going into the next round.
He saw what the Mirotic play ignited, knowing how well his team performs under adverse situations.
Shumpert was still miffed by that wrestling tactic after the game. As he was getting dressed, he was telling James "That dude better be cool. I'm from here. I got my family here and everything. He wants to get out safe, don't he?"
It prompted a laugh from his teammates and James responded, "He must not know you're from The Chi." Mirotic was partially responsible for their demise, which allowed Irving to be a second-half spectator.