The return of the champion in the home arena does not go as hoped: the Hornets impose themselves 119-110. And he comments: “Nothing went as we wanted, but my presence today is more important than a simple match”
Kyrie Irving’s premiere within the walls of friends, right on the night of the Oscars, should have had a Hollywood ending. But a super Ball and the rest of the Hornets (39-36) thought about stealing the stage when the Nets star (39-36) returned to Barclays. Charlotte, in fact, surpasses Brooklyn 119-110 and hooks her in eighth position, also gaining the advantage in head-to-head matches, in the event of an equal finish at the end of the regular season. A bad slip for the New York team in a race in which the Hornets shoot excellently from long distance (17-32) and find two decisive three-pointers in the final with Martin. Irving struggles a lot on an offensive level, he never manages to find rhythm from the field and in the end he closes with a bad 6/22 shooting. “Nothing went the right way – comments Kyrie Irving – I shot badly and the result is obviously not what we wanted”.
The race
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In the second race of the “back to back”, after the comfortable victory in Miami, fatigue is felt for Brooklyn that starts well, despite an inaccurate Irving, reaches +14 in the second quarter and then collapses under the blows of an inevitable Ball in the third fraction. The Hornets rely on LaMelo Ball in the third period and change the direction of the match. Charlotte’s star signs 18 of her 33 points in the third period and the guests touch +11. Brooklyn, with an alternating current Durant, finds the strength to respond in the final match with Irving who, after failing 15 of his first 17 shots from the field, scores eight consecutive points and brings the Nets back. The triples of Martin and Rozier in the last 2’30 ” from the match, however, put things back in place for the troop of coach Borrego, so Charlotte found a very heavy success at the Barclays Center.
The return
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At the end of the match, Irving talks about the meaning, at least from his point of view, of his return to basketball also played within friendly walls. “My presence on the court tonight has a much more important value than a simple basketball game – says Irving in the post-game – I represent the people who have made a choice similar to mine. Now that I can play I think it’s fair to give them a similar opportunity too (and here Irving seems to allude to the no vax municipal employees recently fired by the administration of Mayor Adams, ed). I made a choice and defended it because I believe that freedom is something worth fighting for ”.
Brooklyn: Durant 27 (6/13, 3/11, 6/6 tl), Drummond 20, Irving 16. Rimbalzi: Drummond 17. Assist: Irving 11.
Charlotte: Ball 33 (3/9, 7/12, 6/8 tl), Bridges 24, Washington 18. Rimbalzi: Washington 11. Assist: Ball 9.
March 28, 2022 (change March 28, 2022 | 11:38)
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