CLEVELAND — The Nets acquired a have a look at life with out Kevin Durant and it wasn’t fairly. Regardless of the presence of Kyrie Irving and James Harden, they couldn’t get a cease early or a bucket late, falling to the Cavaliers 114-107 earlier than 18,105 at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse.
With Durant anticipated to overlook not less than a month, the Nets should determine a option to win with out him. A manner that doesn’t embrace Irving getting a COVID-19 vaccine so he can play house video games, as a result of he stated that’s not occurring.
“You'll be able to’t ever change Kevin. It’s not possible. So we face that actuality proper this second and shifting ahead on this street journey,” Irving stated. “We’ll most likely face some extra questions with the ups and downs of this, however we simply need to be very mature about it as a basketball membership and simply be prepared.”
One endless query goes to be the elephant within the room, Irving’s vaccination standing. When requested by The Put up if the lack of Durant impacts his stance towards getting vaccinated so he might play house video games, he reiterated it doesn’t.
“I’m not bringing science into the basketball,” Irving stated. “Everybody’s feeling what’s occurring in the actual world. I’m strolling round as an unvaccinated individual. I’ve already been separated into one other group of group. I’m simply saying to everyone, I’m human. I've selections to make, I've a household to handle.
“There are issues which can be simply as necessary to me as being nice on the sport of basketball or leaving a legacy.”
Irving had 27 factors, 9 assists and 7 rebounds, whereas Harden added 22 factors, 10 assists and 7 boards. However Harden completed minus-18 and acquired completely outplayed by Darius Garland.
The Cavs guard had 22 factors and 12 assists, whereas ex-Internet Jarrett Allen added 14 factors, 10 boards and two blocks.
The Nets (27-16) allowed 65 factors within the first half, and after clawing forward 97-93 with 8:16 to play, they shot simply 2 of 13 down the stretch with out Durant.
“We will’t deal with it. We had greater than sufficient alternatives to win this sport. So it’s on us, man,” Harden stated. “We nonetheless had loads of alternatives down the stretch to win. Individually, I acquired to be rather a lot higher and I will likely be.”
Harden appeared to take a knee to the left leg with 4:05 left within the third quarter and Brooklyn down 82-75. He limped off, however returned and completed the sport.
The Nets trailed 85-77 after Brandon Goodwin’s free throw with 2:46 within the third. Irving had seven factors and two assists in a 13-2 Nets run to take a 90-87 lead.
Brooklyn nonetheless led 97-93 after a LaMarcus Aldridge three-point play with 8:16 to play, however missed 11 of their final 13 photographs. After Lauri Markkanen’s 3 snapped a 105-all tie with 3:21 to play, the Nets missed 5 straight photographs, together with three layups.
When pressed afterward on his vaccination standing — informed thousands and thousands of basketball followers wished to know — Irving said that was the issue.
“That’s what I’m saying. You’re bringing my vaccination standing right into a basketball sport, and I reside my life, nearly all of the time, once I’m away from this,” Irving stated. “So once I say I’m not getting vaccinated and I’m making a alternative with my life, in some way it will get combined into, ‘Effectively, what concerning the basketball?’ When it’s like, ‘No, bro. We reside in an actual world.’
“That is nice to have the ability to do that. I’m grateful for the chance, I like taking part in with my teammates, I like taking part in on the Nets. However I’ve already been away sufficient time to consider this, to course of this, to have the ability to make my choice, stand robust, perceive that persons are going to agree and a few persons are going to disagree.
“The circumstances which can be at hand, I’m praying they get modified and we’re capable of do issues in a different way. That’s not only for me; that’s for all these which can be coping with being unvaccinated and getting fired from work. … So although I really feel your feeling and emotion asking that query, it feels a bit disrespectful. I’m not only a basketball participant, bro.”
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