BROOKLYN, N.Y. — Kyrie Irving had a chance to be the hero in Brooklyn’s season opener, but slipped and missed what would’ve been the game-winning shot. His 50 points were incredible, but seemed moot due to the loss.
Then, he got his redemption... against the Knicks.
As the Knicks led by four with a minute left, Irving hit a 21-foot pull-up to bring the Nets within one. The Nets made a stop and down came Irving and the Nets with 36 seconds left. Irving let the lock wind a bit, crossed and hit a step-back three-pointer to take a 111-109 lead with 22 seconds left.
Julius Randle turned the ball over and Spencer Dinwiddie sealed the deal at the line. Irving made sure Knicks fans knew where they were after the game, and what they missed out on this past off-season.
“I love this, man,” he told Michael Grady after the game. “This is our home. Our home.”
Irving finished with 26 points and five assists in 31 minutes. He shot the ball just 8-of-19 from the field, 2-of-8 from three, but caught fire and scored nine points in the fourth — five in the final minute.
“That was a heck of a step-back he hit on the right side. It was some shot. Yeah, happy for him. I thought he played really well again, really well,” said Kenny Atkinson.
It was much more difficult than it needed to be, and Caris LeVert was benched for most of the fourth quarter. It wasn’t pretty by any means, but a win is a win.
Brooklyn led by as many as 19, but the Knicks came storming back in the fourth . Wayne Ellington nailed a three-pointer and Julius Randle converted an and-one to complete a 37-14 advantage since the Nets owned a 17-point lead.
The Nets went more than six minutes with just one basket from the 7:29 mark to the 59-second mark when Kyrie hit the mid-range pull-up. They turned the ball over 26 times and scored just 19 points in the fourth.
“We allowed them to get to certain plays down the stretch and they played off their momentum and their physicality. The game was slowed down probably in the third and fourth quarter.... We just wanted to play through it and like I said, it’s just opportunities for us to get better from those empty possessions that we had,” said Irving.
And yet, they still escaped with a 107-106 victory, their first of the season.
“There are a lot of teaching moments for us to really take ourselves to the next level,” Irving said after the game. “As individuals, we’re good. As a team, we have to stay patient, build it step by step, 80 games left. 80!”
The Nets trolled the Knicks on Friday by handing out 10,000 Kyrie Irving jerseys as Nets fans chanted and cheered, watching their “younger brother” team kick the Knicks while they’re down.
It may not have been pretty, but the Nets don’t appear to be the little brother at the moment.
Tempers flared, fans went back and forth. There were a few mini scuffles, including one where Taurean Prince didn’t take exception to Randle’s antics with Kyrie.
Down came the “Broookkklynn” chants as the Nets and Knicks were chippy all game.
And so, it may not have been a pretty night, but it was a good one for the Nets nonetheless. Dinwiddie scored 20 points off the bench, while Joe Harris chipped in 13. Caris LeVert was held to three points in the second half and scored just 12 on the night.
For the night, it’s a Nets city and the man the Knicks missed out on, showed them just that.
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DINWIDDIE AUDIO:
NETS GIVE AWAY 10,000 KYRIE JERSEYS
The Nets gave away 10,000 Kyrie Irving jerseys — a tactic to get Nets fans in the building, and the ultimate troll job against the Knicks. Hey, it’s better than reversible jerseys with opposing teams on the back, right?
Anyway. cool gesture for Nets fans. Even better troll job against the Knicks and its fans.
KNICKS BEING TREATED LIKE YOUNGER BROTHER?
A few weeks back, Kevin Durant spoke on Hot 97 and said the Knicks aren’t the “cool” team anymore.
“Some look at the Knicks as a brand and expect these younger players who, in their lifetime, don’t remember the Knicks being good. I didn’t grow up with the Knicks. I’ve seen the Knicks in the Finals, but kids coming up after me didn’t see that. So that whole brand of the Knicks to them is not as cool as, let’s say, the Golden State Warriors or even the Lakers or the Nets now.”
”It’s like the cool thing right now is not the Knicks.”
Marcus Morris wasn’t happy about it when it happened.
“That’s just me personally. Me reading what KD said, or listening to what he said about the cool thing,” Morris said on Friday before the Knicks loss to the lowly Wizards at MSG. “I just never was a real fan of that. Being cool and being in the NBA. Me personally, I get what he was saying. I actually have a good relationship with KD. But the cool part about playing somewhere. Playing in all cities - playing in Utah. Is it cool to play in Utah? It’s cool to play in other places. It’s cool. I just never was a fan of the cool thing. Making a decision off of what’s cool.”
Oh well.
WELL...
Older Knicks fan introduced himself to me on the train en route to the game. I asked what he will do with Kyrie jersey.
“Give it to my son.”
— Anthony Puccio (@APOOCH) October 25, 2019
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Next up: Nets at Grizzlies, 6:00 PM on Sunday.
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