Kyrie Irving has returned to his former glory as the MVP of basketball, and it’s easy to see why. The Nets have bought themselves a shot at making the playoffs for only the second time since moving from New Jersey in 2012 by adopting an aggressive defensive scheme that emphasizes versatility on offense. Although there is still plenty of room for improvement, this team could be one step away from competing with any Eastern Conference contender in 2019-20.
Kyrie Irving’s Dazzling Return Just Provided a Glimpse at What the Peak Brooklyn Nets Could Look Like. Read more in detail here: where is kyrie irving from.
The Brooklyn Nets have finally surrendered and will allow Kyrie Irving to play in away games for the rest of the season, despite his adamant refusal to obtain the coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccination.
Kyrie Irving made his season debut in a victory against the Indiana Pacers, and he looked, well, like Kyrie, even after a nearly six-month absence.
Irving was instrumental in the Nets’ victory, allowing everyone to get inside Doc Brown’s Delorian and see what Brooklyn might look like when it was at its best.
In his season debut, Kyrie Irving helped the Brooklyn Nets win.
On January 5, 2022, Kyrie Irving of the Brooklyn Nets warms up before a game against the Indiana Pacers at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. | Getty Images/Andy Lyons
Despite trailing by 19 points at one point, Brooklyn scored 35 points in the fourth quarter and kept the struggling Pacers to only 20 to win 129-121.
The Nets improved their record to 24-12 on the season, putting them 1.5 games behind the Eastern Conference-leading Chicago Bulls.
It wasn’t a fantastic win — rallying for an eight-point win against a 14-25 squad that has been one of the league’s most uninspiring teams all season isn’t anything to celebrate.
However, a victory is a win, and Irving played a key part in it.
In his first game of 2021-22, the 29-year-old scored 22 points, handed out four assists, grabbed three rebounds, and added three steals in 32 minutes.
Brooklyn’s Big Three won their first and only game together this year, thanks to Kevin Durant’s normally excellent effort and James Harden’s strong performance.
Maybe it’s a foreshadowing of things to come.
Kyrie’s performance, along with those of KD and Harden, gave a peek of the Nets’ terrifying potential.
Durant scored 39 points on 15-of-24 shooting to go along with Kyrie’s strong effort. He also had eight rebounds and seven assists, making him a strong contender for MVP.
Harden hasn’t been himself this season, but he still managed 18 points, five rebounds, and six assists while shooting 8-of-10 from the line.
With Irving and KD putting up such impressive statistics, a good night from The Beard should be enough for Brooklyn to win a lot of games.
Irving remarked via ESPN, “Just a lot of thankfulness just to be here today with everyone.” “Just go out there and have a good time doing what we do.” We had a rough first half, and when we went into the locker room, we realized that we needed to get started immediately if we wanted to develop the identity we desire later in the season.”
“It was fantastic to have him out there,” Durant said. I just missed his presence in the locker room, his enthusiasm, and his team-wide feel. Then there’s his game, which is just phenomenal. It makes the game a whole lot simpler for everyone. It was incredible to see him on the dance floor again.”
The Kyrie-KD duo, along with a smattering of Harden, offered us a glimpse of what the championship-contending Nets can be when they’re at their best. Irving provides a dimension to the squad that it would not have otherwise.
The task now is for the Duke product to help Brooklyn win more games (at least on the road) and return to being a serious championship contender.
If the three remains healthy, another championship run may be on the cards.
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The eventual NBA champion Milwaukee Bucks eliminated the Nets in the second round of the 2021 playoffs. Harden, on the other hand, was injured in the opening minute of Game 1 of that series, and Irving was injured in Game 4.
Despite this, KD and a hobbled Harden pushed the Bucks to a seven-game lead and were a Durant-length toe’s away from sweeping Milwaukee. It’s not unrealistic to believe that a healthy Brooklyn squad would have won the championship last season.
But, with Irving back in the fold, at least part-time, the Nets are back in contention for a title.
“He made the game so much more tough for the Pacers, giving us a new assault, particularly in the fourth quarter,” Durant said in the ESPN report. “All we have to do now is keep building on this.”
The prospect of Brooklyn capitalizing on Kyrie’s spectacular start should alarm not just the rest of the Eastern Conference, but every club with championship ambitions in the league.
NBA.com provided all data.
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