Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant put on excellent performances against the Boston Celtics, but it wasn’t enough to win. The Nets are now 0-1 down against the Celtics and will have to fight from underneath to be able to move to the second round of the playoffs. Kyrie Irving was subjected to a lot of abuse from Celtic fans, but Kevin Durant was not actually surprised by the way his teammate was treated.
Kevin Durant spoke after the game against the Celtics about what happened with Kyrie Irving. He noted that Kyrie Irving and the Boston Celtics have a very shaky relationship, so the way the fans reacted to Irving was not surprising. He noted that Kyrie will be subjected to this kind of abuse throughout the series, but seemed to let it slide, passing it off as part of the game.
Kevin Durant on the TD Garden Crowd banter towards Kyrie Irving: “I wasn’t really focused on the fans. They’re going to let Kyrie hear it as much as possible. It is what it is. It’s part of the sport.”
— Chris Milholen (@ChrisMilholen) April 17, 2022
“I wasn’t really focused on the fans. They’re going to let Kyrie hear it as much as possible. It is what it is. It’s part of the sport.”
Kevin Durant also spoke about the Celtics’ defense in Game 1, noting that they were able to force him into a lot of mistakes, and that played a part in the Nets losing a very close game. NBA fans were thrilled after Game 1, with many voicing their hopes for a 7-game series between the Celtics and the Nets.
Kyrie Irving didn’t have such a relaxed response to this, noting that he would continue to respond to fans who hurl abuse at him, matching the energy they send his way. Irving was constantly responding to fans, as he showed fans in the arena the middle finger multiple times. On top of that, he even cussed out a fan who was abusing him, something a Celtics fan recorded and uploaded to the internet.
