The Nets They must arm themselves with courage in the coming dates. They have a month to go without Kevin Durant and this start of the calendar year is usually the time when some teams drop too far down the rankings. They have a squad, but they must recover others injured or injured if they do not want what happened during their visit to Cleveland to happen to them. A defeat (114-107) that leaves a bad taste in the mouth due to the possibilities they have and that they do not materialize; their streaks are irregular, they haven’t yet caught one in which they show that they are the favorites to win the title, their game is inconsistent. The Cavaliers humbled them, even if the word sounds too big. Without Collin Sexton and Ricky Rubio, two of the three point guards with whom they started this season, due to injuries they had a snack for the couple that, here yes, yes, were Kyrie Irving and James Harden.
At the same time that Durant sits on his sofa to recover from a sprained knee, non-casual rumors come out, which journalist Marc Stein formulated this Monday, that Harden values “a relocation” on another team next summer. In front of him he had the best player of last week in the conference, Darius Garland. The bearded man played at his side with Kyrie Irving, who does not need to be vaccinated to be lined up outside the Barclays Center and a few small exceptions. Grass created to have a bad time. Durant solves games like that. Harden and Irving, together, remains to be seen.
The Cavaliers they offered a memory game recital, of passion for fighting hand to hand with a team that aspires to the title and that this victory equals them in the classification. What they have done throughout the course. There was no surprise there. Those of Nash, pulling experts like Mills, Aldridge, Griffin and surrounded by some inexperienced who did not clash, did not give an adequate response to the challenge. Irving (27) played well in what was his home. Harden (22) was somewhat more timid and also failed. Between the two they failed in the play with which they could have forced the extension, losing the ball in a pass from one to the other and leaving the dunk on the counterattack served to Isaac Okoro to ignite the Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse in a satisfactory day of tribute to Martin Luther king.
Garland was intoned from the start. His companions made him a good troupe. It is what did not happen on the other side. Stevens or Rondo, a recent signing, were also missing from their team, nothing can be attributed to the losses of the Nets who are not named Kevin Durant. The Cavaliers took a different rhythm and brought the visitors headlong all evening. electrical. A very fun team to watch, lose by ten or win by twenty. Here he played a good basketball duel against people who wanted to show off. The end is for the important ones and here it was shown that Cleveland is up for something big this year despite all the sticks it has taken.
Irving reacted in the second half and mitigated the imbalance that the Cavaliers had caused in the second quarter. Allen and Mobley were just fine, Love ended up being more key than them when it came to playing hot balls. Kyrie challenged Darius, it was a very nice give and take to watch. The Cavaliers point guard had a hard time finding a hole that would help him throw better, he found them. The Nets point guard responded with the gallantry of one who knows he has not only the talent but also the experience. Preciousness.
Everything was resolved in an unfortunate action. Markkanen, who had scored an earlier triple for 108-105, closed out Harden, who faked another shot. James threw the pass, Kyrie left it behind, the receiver fell to the ground and Isaac Okoro, putting a good pressure on the ball, put the sentence. The stands exploded. They know they’re playing very well, to the point where beating the Nets isn’t a surprise.
Something that can feel worse in Brooklyn than the defeat are the words of Kyrie Irving in the subsequent press conference. Asked if vaccinations will be agreed to now that Durant is injured and needed more than ever at home games, where he can’t play, he had this to say: “I have already made a decision and I will stick to it: I am not going to get vaccinated. I respect the decision of each one with their body. I remain faithful to what I believe, although now we are going through this problem with Kev [Durant]. I only know that I am protected by the franchise and by the team.”. But you know the saying: never say never…
