JKYrie Irving carries Nets over Cavaliers in Play-In game to set up series with Celtics in the nets to set up series with Celtics
Published: April 12, 2022 US time
Publisher: the Athletic
Article by Alex Sharf
Article translated by de Gaulle
The Nets played the Cavaliers playoff at home until the final moments of the first half, and in front of Kerry Irving was an old acquaintance, that is, LeVert, who had played for the Nets. Only to see Owen sink one shoulder, and then an acceleration wiped over LeVille. In front of his bench, Irving, who had shaken off the offensive space, rose from the ground and slid his body to his right side while making a quick shot. As soon as the ball left his hand, the red light behind the rebound was already on, indicating the end of the first two quarters. The ball he threw then went straight into the basket, triggering a tsunami of mountains and tsunamis. And Owen stood there like a hero, enjoying it all.
The Nets, who are no. 7 in the regular season, even if they lose this game, still have a chance to enter the playoffs, but in the eyes of Irving and Durant, if they still want to attack the highest goal this season, then this battle is the "battle of the right name" they must win. And Owen's personal play does show his determination.
Because of his religious beliefs and Ramadan, Owen's stomach was empty when he played in this game. But in the case of nothing to eat, Irving hit all the targets in the first 12 shots of the game, and finally scored 34 points and 12 assists in a single game, with outstanding personal performance, helped the Nets beat the Cavaliers 115-108 and officially entered the playoffs. In this play-off, Irving defeated his old club Cavaliers. And what awaits them in the official playoffs is Irving's old club, the Celtics.
In addition to Irving, the Nets' other giant Durant also performed very well, in addition to scoring 25 points, Durant also delivered 11 assists, two core figures of the Nets, became the team's offensive hub. According to statistics, Irving and Durant became the first pair of Nets teammates since 1993 to score 20+ and assist 10+ in the same game. The previous pair of Nets teammates who did this were Derek Coleman and Romele Robinson, and the opponents the two Nets predecessors faced when they played this statistic were the Celtics.
Compared with Durant, who has played as steady as ever, Irving has begun to fluctuate on the court since entering April, because of Ramadan. In the last four games of the regular season, he shot no more than 37.5% in three games. Because of this, many people are worried about whether Irving, who is hungry and playing in the key battles of the playoffs and playoffs, can withstand the double pressure of body and mind.
"Just by imagining it, you know it's not easy," Owen said of his recent daytime fasting, "and you can't take anything for granted in a situation like this." However, I didn't focus on that either. When I came to the stadium, I immediately focused on the many details of preparing for the game, while constantly reminding myself that I was still breathing, and that was enough. I have a lot of respect for everyone who comes in and the players who can play. Currently, the sun rises at 5:35 a.m. and will get earlier and earlier in the future. So I told myself, don't think about hunger or anything else, just enjoy this fun trip. And I'm enjoying it, and I'm not going it alone. ”
For the Nets, in the next series with the Celtics, they need Irving to continue to play like this. Compared to the Cavaliers, who have been greatly weakened by injuries, the Celtics are not only strong, but also the whole team is very well-rounded, they have the most efficient defense in the league, and they are also ranked 9th in offensive efficiency, which will become a huge challenge for the Nets and Irving.
But Irving, who has just played an excellent performance, is obviously not too worried. In the first half of the game against the Cavaliers, Irving used his unbridled offensive performance to help the team quickly establish a double-digit lead. After hitting a whistle-pressing ball in midfield, Irving hit another three-pointer at the start of the third quarter, stretching the gap to 20 points. If it weren't for such a huge lead in front, the Nets would probably not have so much room to make mistakes when the Cavaliers set off a wave of counterattacks.
In addition to his excellent offensive feel, Irving also showed his vision and organizational skills as a point guard in this play-off match against the Cavaliers. Because cavaliers interior general Jarrett Allen was injured and unable to play, the Nets, which have two major centers, Drummond and Clarkston, have a huge advantage on the inside. The two big men teamed up to score 29 points with an efficiency of 13 out of 19. As for the work of delivering shells to the inner line, Owen naturally undertook most of it.
"Hopefully, I'll do more and more of this in the future," Owen said, "and I did put a lot of pressure on myself in the final stages of the regular season." There are games where I shoot 32, 26 or 22 times, and when I do that, I actually feel like I'm going to play very efficiently. However, I really need time to get my legs back to feel and my rhythm of the game. Later, I began to trust my teammates and started playing at the pace of the game, trying not to put too much pressure on myself. ”
And so, after an efficient Irving returned, the Nets won the game they "had to win." Next, they have to focus all their attention on the next opponent, the Celtics. Speaking of which, the two teams also have a lot of roots, in addition to Irving has a grudge with the Green Army, and now Celtics coach Udoka, who has also worked as an assistant coach at the Nets before. Coupled with the regular season this season, the Celtics have an advantage of 3 wins and 1 loss, so the Nets will be more motivated when they encounter the Celtics.
After the game against the Cavaliers, the Nets players have begun to look ahead to the showdown with the Green Army. Bruce Brown, a Boston native, is about to play against his hometown team, but he thinks the Celtics have temporarily lost interior big player Robert Williams, which will give the Nets a head start. "They're understaffed on the inside right now," Brown said, "and now we can go on a big go for Horford and Tess, and they don't have Robert Williams, which is a huge loss." ”
It sounds like a very ordinary situation analysis, but this statement sounds a little arrogant to Brown's teammate Durant. Durant described Brown's analysis as a form of "caffeine pride" and cautioned teammates on the need to respect their opponents. "It's not going to be that simple, I'll put it here now," Durant said of the Celtics.
For Irving, the playoffs again encounter the Celtics will also have a different kind of emotion. Last season, the Nets and Celtics met in the first round of the playoffs, and Irving stepped on the Celtics' home floor after Game Four of the series, the head of the Elf in the team logo. After he made this move, Celtics home fans also threw water bottles at him. Such a past will undoubtedly inspire a new smell of gunpowder on both sides when the two teams meet again.
"I know that team very well, and they know us very well," Owen said, "and I'll be ready, and once the game starts and the ball is thrown into the air, you guys will see some extraordinary basketball performances." I'm looking forward to it myself. ”