Higher late than by no means.
It’s been the theme of this whole Nets season: Sooner or later, they’d get wholesome. Sooner or later, they’d construct chemistry. Sooner or later, Kyrie Irving would get vaccinated — or by some means turn into eligible to play in video games at Barclays Heart.
And in some unspecified time in the future in his first residence sport of the season — 4 days after mayor Adams created the vaccine exemption for professional athletes in New York Metropolis — Irving was going to show it on.
What was presupposed to be Irving’s welcome residence get together shortly turned a popping out get together for Hornets All-Star LaMelo Ball, however ultimately Irving stole the present, lastly bringing his highway act to an area within the 11217 zip code.
After going scoreless within the first quarter and capturing simply 2-of-13 via the primary three intervals, Irving lit up the Hornets within the remaining minutes of the fourth interval. First a physics-defying end on the rim, then a blow-by, pull-back, then blow-by once more of Ball, the reigning Rookie of the Yr, in a crossover sequence that rivaled Allen Iverson’s 2006 double crossover of Antonio Daniels.
Higher late than by no means.
Besides Irving’s late-game heroics weren’t sufficient, not after the Nets blew a 14-point result in path as many as 11 of their eventual 119-110 loss to the Hornets on Sunday. Irving’s former teammate, Terry Rozier, hit the dagger three with lower than a minute to go to offer Charlotte a six-point lead. After Irving missed a shot within the closing seconds, Hornets star Miles Bridges hit one other dagger three to place the Nets away for good.
“Not the outcome we wished. I didn’t shoot in addition to I wished,” mentioned Irving, who completed with simply 16 factors on 6-of-22 capturing from the sphere. “Mainly not one of the issues I had hoped for (had been) going nicely tonight. It simply didn’t occur. That’s simply the move of basketball, mentally, bodily, emotionally, spiritually I felt OK. Simply the soar shot was falling tonight, and we weren’t hitting photographs. So not the outcomes that we wished. However undoubtedly grateful that we had been part of historical past tonight and I obtained to do it right here.
All of the whereas, Ball performed at occasions like the very best participant on the ground, his unorthodox offensive model stumping the Nets possession after possession. On one possession, Ball dribbled into the paint, then instantly darted out to the proper wing earlier than launching a 3 over Andre Drummond’s outstretched arms. On one other, he went between the legs on the prime of the important thing 5 - 6 occasions earlier than catapulting a treyball over Nic Claxton.
Ball completed with 33 factors, 9 assists and 7 rebounds and hit seven threes on 12 makes an attempt. It was a powerful exhibiting for the second-year guard who typically capitalized on Irving’s protection to get his buckets.
Irving seemed gassed. It ought to have been anticipated in simply Irving’s second set of back-to-backs this season. The Nets airplane didn’t land till 4 a.m. Sunday morning, simply six hours after the tip of their walloping of the Miami Warmth and solely 15 and a half hours earlier than tipoff in opposition to the Hornets on Sunday.
Irving’s legs seemed shot, his soar photographs fell quick, however handed out 11 dimes. He solely had 10 factors via the primary three quarters.
The remainder of the group seemed equally useless — or disinterested. Kevin Durant completed with 27 factors, and Andre Drummond had 20 factors and 17 rebounds, however the Nets seemed lifeless and didn’t play sufficient protection to stifle the younger and enjoyable Hornets.
“You can take a look at long-range photographs and say it may need been our legs however I’m not going to offer that excuse,” mentioned Durant. “We simply didn’t make them and so they got here out with a variety of depth in that third and made photographs. Gotta give them credit score for knocking them down. I feel we missed photographs that we often make and simply need to lock in, hit them subsequent sport.”
Irving’s return provides the Nets a further life vest — one which was deflated on Sunday. His full-time availability places the opposite function gamers again to their pure positions and takes the brunt of the scoring load off Durant’s shoulders.
However there are solely seven extra video games for the Nets to piece this puzzle collectively, seven extra video games for Steve Nash to determine his rotations with a full roster, seven extra video games for Ben Simmons to lastly make his debut after battling via a again pressure.
Will seven video games be sufficient? Or will this experiment drag into the playoffs?
Higher late than by no means sounds good in concept, till there isn’t any extra time. Similar to Sunday evening.
“Now we are able to transfer on,” Irving mentioned. “How all people can transfer on, particularly within the locker room, restricted distractions, no concern, and subsequent sport will probably be higher.”
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