Kyrie Irving is not a sore loser.
His comeback to the Brooklyn Nets road squad led to San Francisco and the Golden State Warriors. Although the Nets took a 110-106 ‘L’ on Saturday, Irving had nothing but respect for his Warriors counterpart in Steph Curry.
“I love Steph, man. The guy has completely revolutionized the game,” said Irving in the postgame press conference. “Coming into the league as a young man in 2011 and only seeing glimpses of what he was capable of because he wasn’t as healthy those early [years]. So we only got to see glimpses. But when he caught fire, everyone was on notice.”
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Still The Young GOAT
Ironically, Curry hasn’t been his best lately. He has been shooting 37 percent from the field and 31 percent from the 3-point line during January.
However, against the Nets, Andrew Wiggins, Jordan Poole, and Otto Porter handled the Nets for the first three quarters, combining for 57 points.
Additionally, now that Klay Thompson is back, clutch moments just became great again, and in the fourth quarter, he showed out. Thompson hit a clutch 3-pointer with 12 seconds left, leading to the 110-106 victory.
Klutch Klay
Thompson came into the last quarter shooting 2 for 11 from the field and 1 for 7 from 3-point range. Still, his accuracy under pressure contributed heavily to the win.
For Irving, however, it was all about Curry.
“Me as a point guard or as a lead guard on my team growing up in Cleveland at the time, he was the guy that really set the standard,” said Kyrie. “Catching and shooting off the dribble.
“Being able to break down his defenders and being able to take three guys with him everywhere that he goes, you wouldn’t be a true student of the game if you were not watching somebody like that and trying to not only keep up and challenge his position.”
Kyrie Irving on Steph Curry: "I love Steph, man. The guy has completely revolutionized the game." Full analysis below pic.twitter.com/fO9jTse4F5
— Mark Medina (@MarkG_Medina) January 30, 2022
Missing Pieces
Brooklyn played without Kevin Durant and James Harden.
Harden was a late removal from the Golden State game due to a right-hand strain that didn’t show on the injury report until late. Durant is currently nursing a sprained MCL in his left knee and has missed the past seven games when the Nets have gone 2-5 without him.
Kyrie Irving had 32 points, seven rebounds, and seven season-high assists. His performance and adoration for Curry still didn’t stop a local Bay Area politician from being mad that Irving was playing in his city.
Not Everyone’s On Board
According to reports, San Francisco board supervisor Matt Haney felt that Irving’s unvaccinated status should have stopped his entrance into the Chase Center.
Still, Kyrie appreciated sharing the court with Curry and continuing their maturation by proxy.
“I think that’s where our mutual respect has really grown. Going against each other has been great. I see moves that he does. And I know he sees moves that I do. We’re just leading this generation that is coming up behind us.”
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