The main storyline of Tuesday night's game between the Brooklyn Nets and Dallas Mavericks wasn't very good. Kyrie Irving returned to Barclays Center for the first time since Brooklyn traded him to Dallas at last season's trade deadline, but other than a curious mix of boos and cheers, there wasn't much to report.
Brooklyn paid tribute to its former guard…well, not with a video, but with a perfunctory “thank you” alongside former Nets Markieff Morris and Seth Curry. Perhaps Irving felt slighted, or maybe he just wanted to gently remind his old team of what they were missing. As it turns out, hoops were never the problem.
Irving led all scorers with 21 points in the first half and continued to trade places with batsman Luka Doncic all night for the leading scorer. However, the visiting Mavs did not do the same, maintaining a chokehold on the Nets that ranged from deadly to unpleasant, but never in doubt.
The Nets struggled to protect Dallas' dynamic backcourt in the first half, but the offensive end was an even bigger problem. Cam Thomas and Mikal Bridges improved on their abysmal performance from Monday night, but carried a huge burden with Cam Johnson and Lonnie Walker IV out. Add to that the return of Ben Simmons, which means half-court spacing becomes even more of an issue…
Still, Simmons reiterated his desire to remain in the starting lineup after the game. “That's my preference, yeah…I'd like to start. You know, I'm more convenient than starting off the bench.”
That being said, Bridges and Thomas never let go of the wheel. Bridges lit it up again from 3, shooting 5-of-11 to finish with 28 points. Thomas only shot 6-of-16, but even in the crowded paint, he navigated the floor more smoothly and came close to a triple-double: 16/8/8….
Much of the difference between the Bridges/Thomas and Kyrie/Luka pairings, at least in the first half, was in the supporting cast. Dallas entered the break with a 65-47 lead on the strength of supplemental 3-point shooting.
The Mavs, not their star players, made 6-of-11 shots from deep, but that look was often the result of Doncic's offensive trappings. For Brooklyn, the only role player who hit threes was Royce O'Neal, who shot 2-of-6 from beyond. Thomas and Bridges did the best they could, but they didn't have a horse that could truly compete.
The Nets came out of the locker room in zombie mode and looked ready to surrender in the final 24 minutes of the game. Doncic's traps have become more aggressive, but the rotation of the back line has completely collapsed.
But it was a mistake to suggest a punt on the second night of this series.
The Nets struggled with improved defense and three-point shooting. Jacque Vaughn broke the glass in case of an emergency and stuck Nic Claxton on Doncic for a while.
Vaughn said: I mean Nick is playing incredible basketball.
Claxton ended up with five blocks, and was able to hold off the Slovenian superstar just a little. Brooklyn fell behind by 23 points and fell spectacularly to single digits multiple times, but Luka (35/18/9) and Kyrie (36) always had an answer.
“It's difficult,” said Hashi, who protects the pair. “A lethal scorer and willing to find others as well. So you look at what they did tonight, what they do when they're both playing.” , it’s hard to deal with.”
At least Jalen Wilson stood out as a bright spot in Brooklyn's fake comeback. The rookie scored 10 points in 18 minutes and brought the full hustle Nets fans have come to expect from his brief stint in the major leagues.
Royce O'Neal was Brooklyn's second leading scorer with 18 points on 4-of-3 shooting, but he, Bridges and Thomas were missing the final piece of the puzzle.
Spencer Dinwiddie seemed uninterested in his team's offense until the final five minutes of the game, when he seemed to be mocking Nets fans who have been begging for such activity for a month. I drove in the lane repeatedly. Simmons overcame some of his offensive shortcomings by picking up the pace and hitting the offensive glass in the second half, achieving a healthy stat line of 9/9/7 in his 20 minutes…
But that wasn't enough, as the hole Brooklyn dug in the first half was too steep to climb out of. It wasn't necessarily the new starting lineup featuring Dinwiddie/Thomas/Bridges/Simmons/Claxton, but the play of the entire team. Dennis Smith Jr. had a good run, scoring six points in 18 minutes, but ultimately hurt the half-court offense.
Trendon Watford and Noah Clowney made brief cameos, playing seven minutes in the first half, but they were just passing points for Dallas' offense, no different from their more experienced teammates. Ta.
Brooklyn's loss in the semifinals (for the team) had a positive side. Also (second night in a row). Bridges and Thomas played like true professionals in a tough offensive situation. Despite Simmons' misgivings, the Nets won by one point in his 20 minutes, sparking the second half. Claxton's defense remains beyond reproach. Wilson looks like he's having fun.
Vaughan said: “I'm very pleased that our guys showed some resilience and fight. We talked about it at half-time: keep it simple and look at the other jersey's across from you. Play against the guy, and our people really responded.”
But there are only so many emotional victories for teams and fans, and 50 games into the season, it has long lost its appeal.
So when the Nets cut the deficit to 107-101 and Kyrie Irving casually came down to the floor and hit back-to-back game-clinching threes, it was enough to make me miss the man in black and white. .
perhaps.
milestone watch
Not Milestone's most impressive group, but we got it for YA.
- Luke Jalen Wilson notched his second career double-digit performance.
- The Nets handed out 41 field goals and 33 assists for Dallas. This is the sixth time Ben Simmons has reached the 30-plus mark in just nine games available. They only went five times without an Australian in the lineup.
- Nic Claxton blocked four or more shots in three straight games.
- It only took Cam Thomas a half to match six assists for his career-high in assists. Of course, his eight dimes total represent a new career best.
Latest injury information
Ahead of Tuesday's game, Jacque Vaughn provided yet another injury update. His Nets only have 11 players wearing them. It included three two-way contracts, so how could they not?
However, the update didn't solve much. Cam Johnson and Lonnie Walker IV each suffered injuries in Monday's contest (adductor strain and left hamstring strain, respectively) and underwent MRIs on Tuesday. However, at the time Vaughn served as the presser, the Nets were still in the “evaluating” stage.
Walker's absence is especially concerning considering he missed 17 consecutive games with a left ham injury earlier this season.
Vaughn also said Dorian Finney-Smith and Dayron Sharp remain sidelined, and the DFS remains on the “day-to-day” designation.
kylie returns
And, well, so are Markieff Morris and Seth Curry. You could also throw in Jared Dudley, who is currently coaching with the Cavs, and Devin Harris, who is currently a color commentator for Barry Sports Southwest.
Brooklyn didn't treat Irving's return as anything special, recognizing him along with Morris and Curry on a virtual greeting card.
The semi-audible boos posted on Peter Splendorio's posts grew even louder during the game, as the Barclays Center crowd wasn't shy about expressing their displeasure with West Orange native Peter Splendorio. Some of them, anyway.
Just like when Stephen Curry showed up in Brooklyn on Monday night, Luka Doncic had a lot of supporters, de facto Mavericks fans, in attendance. There were hearty boos when Irving started handling the rock, but the crowd cheered when the ball ripped through the nylon. Typical Nets:
Irving also took a dig at Mayor Eric Adams about the private sector vaccine mandate that forced security guards out of home games for much of the 2021-'22 season.
But overall, Irving's return was modest. Both parties treated it like a business trip and it became.
Irving's postgame press was juicier, but only slightly. The 13-year veteran spoke for nearly 10 minutes and covered a wide range of topics. As he had before, Irving credits the New Jersey Nets of the early 2000s as a major inspiration for his professional basketball career, coaching young players such as Claxton and Thomas, as well as the friends and family he made in Brooklyn. Did.
“I felt like I was at home tonight.”
But Irving also deftly discussed his exit from the Nets and some of the more unpleasant aspects of his time with the franchise.
“For me, winning here was bigger than the championship,” he said. “I really needed to take some moral stances that propelled me to a place in my life that I had to get used to. Some of the political events that were happening here were things that I didn't have any control over. I couldn't do it, and I was responsible. There were some things I did on my own terms that, in retrospect, were mistakes. And I have to take responsibility for those things.”
He continued: “A conversation that needed to happen before the trade deadline…It was time to get my own peace of mind and go to a place where I could thrive.”
In other words, there is nothing new for net fans. Irving did not go into the unknown details of not getting the coronavirus vaccine, instead vaguely addressing the situation. He did something similar during the difficult contract negotiations before last season's trade deadline, which led to his departure.
Regarding his perception of his time in Brooklyn, Irving simply said: Hopefully it's done in the next few years. ”
After Tuesday night, you might not have to wait that long.
Next is next
Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images
Flashback to France? The Nets will face the Cleveland Cavaliers, who have been in the dominating position recently with a 14-1 record in their last 15 games. However, the Cavs will play back-to-back games as they will face the Washington Wizards on Wednesday night.
Tipoff vs. Cleveland is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. Thursday night from Barclays Center, four and a half hours after the NBA trade deadline. Until then, it could be a busy 48 hours for Brooklyn.
- Box score: Dallas Mavericks 119, Brooklyn Nets 107 – NBA
- Game Highlights: Dallas Mavericks 119, Brooklyn Nets 107 (Video) – NBA
- Highlights: Kyrie Irving and Luka Doncic combine for 71 points (Video) – NBA
- Irving and Doncic help Mavericks beat 76ers without injuries Embiid, 118-102 – Brian Mahoney – AP
- Kyrie Irving drops 36 from old team as Mavericks lead Nets – Reuters
- Kyrie Irving drops 36 points in Brooklyn return to lead Mavericks over Nets – Bridget Riley – New York Post
- Kyrie Irving's return to Brooklyn elicits boos and cheers from Nets crowd – Bridget Riley – New York Post
- Kyrie Irving and Luka Doncic combine for 71 points as Mavericks beat Nets' Mikal Bridges ($) – Peter Sbrendrio – New York Daily News
- Kyrie Irving won't receive video tribute from Nets, scores 36 points amid boos in return for Brooklyn ($) – Peter Sbrendrio – New York Daily News
- Nets Notes: Ben Simmons starts, Brooklyn undermanned against Mavericks ($) – CJ Holmes – New York Daily News
- Kyrie Irving's 36-point lead leads Mavericks to victory over Nets ($) – Evan Barnes – Newsday
- Kyrie Irving draws silent response in return to Barclays Center ($) – Laura Albanese – Newsday
- Kyrie Irving's return to Barclays Center brings with it different events from his time with the Nets ($) – Evan Barnes – Newsday
- Injured Nets' Cam Johnson and Lonnie Walker IV will miss game against Mavericks ($) – Evan Barnes – Newsday
- Mavs' Kyrie Irving steals the show with flashy dunks and relentless drive in win over Nets ($) – Brad Townsend – Dallas Morning News
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