Kyrie Irving returns to the land of his early years in the league, but it’s Patty Mills who shows up right away at the Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. The Australian is untenable from a distance, and his teammates are following the dynamic. 3-point shots rained down, and Kessler Edwards took advantage of Kevin Durant’s absence to shine.
But the locals do not want to let it go and respond with Darius Garland, who takes the reins of his team. JB Bickerstaff’s men play a polished basketball, and after the first 24 minutes, join the locker room with the advantage on the scoreboard (65-59).
The Cavaliers are playing with playoff intensity, but the visitors are also tightening the screws on defense, with Day’Ron Sharpe protecting the paint in exemplary fashion.
Kyrie Irving snaps the fifth and dazzles his former Ohio fans, giving his people a big offensive boost. The two teams are not giving up, and the Garland-Irving duel is in full swing as we enter “money time”. But the Nets completely miss the last two minutes of the game, both offensively and defensively, and finally bow out (114-107).
WHAT YOU MUST REMEMBER
– The fire in the parking lot. The Nets wanted to fire in the first quarter from afar, and made 6 3-point shots on 9 attempts in 12 minutes. Patty Mills (2/4) and Kessler Edwards (2/2) blackened the stats sheet, and the Brooklyn snipers were able to benefit from the caviars of James Harden and Kyrie Irving, very focused on the collective.
– 14 points for Kyrie Irving in the third quarter. The former home was fondly remembered by Ohio fans. During the third quarter, his mid-range shots and sharp penetrations made the Cavaliers defense dizzy. With Kevin Durant out for the next few weeks, Kyrie Irving knows he’ll have to show up and make up for the loss of KD in away games.
– Last two fatal minutes. With the Nets only one possession down two minutes from time, Steve Nash’s men missed their final two minutes. Two consecutive shots one meter from the circle missed by LaMarcus Aldridge, then two missed penetrations by Kyrie Irving and big defensive oversights. The Cavs saw the opening, and were quick to bend the game in their favor.
TOPS/FLOPS
✅ Darius Garland. The Ohio moped wanted to show the Nets that he’s the new sheriff in town. Percussive in attack, Darius Garland is also gaining strength in terms of reading and managing his team’s game. Unstoppable during the first period, he also fought a big duel against Kyrie Irving during the tense moments of the game. In the absence of Ricky Rubio and Collin Sexton, he answers present.
✅ Kyrie Irving. The elder of the house came (back), saw but… did not win. Very inspired in attack (27 units), Kyrie Irving flirted with the triple double (7 rebounds, 9 assists), and delighted the fans with his movements of which he alone has the secret. Despite the lack of rhythm, he shows a great defensive desire, and does not forget his role as leader alongside James Harden.
⛔ Evan Mobley. The slender interior was intermittent, too irregular to mark the game with its usual imprint. The former USC was guilty of several oversights in defense, and despite some nice dunks on the truffle of opposing interiors, he did not have his usual performance.
THE FOLLOWING
Brooklyn (27-16): trip to the capital to face the Wizards there (night from Wednesday to Thursday at 1am).
Cleveland (27-18): away to face the Bulls (Wednesday to Thursday night at 2am).
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