The Nets try to capitalize on their current home stretch
Beginning on January 23, with a 108-103 loss in a matchup against the New York Knicks, through next Tuesday, the Nets are in a stretch of playing 10 out of 11 games at Barclays Center in Brooklyn.
After a 136-120 loss to Kevin Durant and the Phoenix Suns last Wednesday, Brooklyn dominated the Philadelphia 76ers who were without reigning NBA MVP Joel Embiid (knee surgery), on the road last Saturday.
On Tuesday, former Net and eight-time NBA All-Star Kyrie Irving, who played in 143 games in three-plus seasons with the franchise between 2019 and 2023, made his return to Barclays for the first time since being traded to the Dallas Mavericks last February. He was booed early and often by many in the crowd but it didn’t deter him as Irving scored a game-high 36 points, including back-to-back three-pointers with under four and a half minutes to play that essentially ended a potential Nets comeback and lifted the Mavericks to a 119-107.
Luka Doncic, who was voted as a 2024 All-Star starter and will make his fifth appearance in the All-Star game held in Indianapolis on February 18, finished with an impressive 35 points, 18 rebounds, and nine assists. The Nets loss put them at 20-30, No. 11 in the Eastern Conference heading into tonight’s match up with the Cleveland Cavaliers at the Barclays.
“It felt like I was home tonight,” Irving said after the game while sharing that he had several friends and family members in the stands.
“If I didn’t get injured versus the Bucks (during the 2022 playoffs), do I still ask for a trade?” Irving responded to a hypothetical question about his tenure with Brooklyn. “If (Kevin Durant’s) foot wasn’t on the three-point line, are we talking about a different legacy here? If James (Harden) doesn’t ask for a trade? All of the would of, could of, should of.”
Brooklyn entered the game light on healthy bodies, as Cam Johnson, Dorian Finney-Smith, Lonnie Walker IV, and Day’Ron Sharpe were all out.
Mikal Bridges led the team with 28 points, while Cam Thomas added 16 and a career-high eight assists.
Nets head coach Jacque Vaughn was satisfied with his team’s effort, if not the outcome, as they were playing on the second night of a back-to-back, having lost to the Golden State Warriors 109-98 on Monday. He conceded that it is difficult to slow down Dallas trying to defend both Doncic and Irving
“It’s tough,” Vaughn said. “(Irving) has the extreme ability to shot-make versus anyone and I thought he had some timely buckets for that group.”
Three-time NBA All-Star Ben Simmons, who returned last week after missing nearly three months with a back impingement, has averaged 6.3 points, 8.7 rebounds, and 7.7 assists in three games. Playing under a minutes restriction, Simmons logged 20 versus the Mavericks, posting nine points, nine rebounds and seven assists.
After the Cavaliers, the Nets will face the San Antonio Spurs at home this Saturday and the Boston Celtics next Tuesday.
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