Kyrie Irving had a terrific game against the Milwaukee Bucks on Saturday night, dropping a season-high 38 points, defeating Giannis Antetokounmpo and co. at Fiserv Forum.
The point guard was visibly happy after his impressive performance, embracing his dad in a big hug after the match was over. Having Kyrie playing at this level is great for the Nets, who don’t have Kevin Durant or Ben Simmons on the court, leaving Kyrie the job of carrying the rest of the squad.
Still, the 2016 NBA champion doesn’t seem to have a problem with that. In fact, he admitted that it was easier to play with ‘selfless’ players, which could be taken as a shot at former teammate James Harden.
“When you’re playing with guys that are coming off the ball, being very selfless, putting their body on the line and thinking the game, it just makes my job a lot easier to lead the offense as best I can as the point guard. It was definitely emotional, for me to prepare for this game. Just because [of the injury] I haven’t been back in this building since then, and I try my best not to wear my emotions on my face or my shoulders but sometimes they get the best of me. But it definitely felt like there was a weight lifted just being back here, being healthy, getting the win, and knowing that there’s a possibility we can see them down the line again.”
Kyrie Irving on getting to play with the new-look Nets:
"When you're playing with guys that are coming off the ball, being very selfless, putting their body on the line and thinking the game, it just makes my job a lot easier to lead the offense as best I can as the point guard" pic.twitter.com/ciT7sQV5c7
— Nets Videos (@SNYNets) February 27, 2022
Harden didn’t leave the Nets on the best terms and there were rumors suggesting he had some issues with Kyrie’s part-time status. Even though James shut down those rumors, everybody thinks they weren’t on the best terms and Harden decided to escape that situation.
Irving will play against Harden next March 10 at Wells Fargo Center. Hopefully, he can have another 38-point night and James Harden keeps his good pace with the Philadelphia 76ers.
