Kyrie Irving has just recently returned to playing full-time for the Brooklyn Nets, now that the vaccine mandate in New York has been lifted for athletes. And since then, he has been playing games for the Nets regularly. Last night, the Nets lost an agonizingly close OT game to the Milwaukee Bucks, but one thing that was noticeable was the officiating, as the Nets didn’t get a lot of foul calls despite the Bucks making a lot of contact during those plays.
Kyrie Irving spoke to the press after the game about the game and the officiating. Irving believes that the Bucks were playing a brand of physical basketball that should’ve gotten the Nets some foul calls, but they weren’t given. He accused the Nets of playing ‘reckless’ basketball and wondered why the Nets were not given those calls, as those missed calls could have allowed the Nets to win the game.
"They're playing pretty physical. I think they were a little reckless at times on a lot of their fouls, or a few of their fouls. That's who they are, but I just think it was just reckless sometimes."
Kyrie Irving on the Bucks 👀
(via @DavidEarly)pic.twitter.com/sHwz2vXzzY
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) April 1, 2022
“Just responding the right way to the way Milwaukee is playing. They’re playing pretty physical. I think they were a little reckless at times on a lot of their fouls, or a few of their fouls. That’s who they are, but I just think it was just reckless sometimes… I’m not trying to name individual plays, I just think, I leave it to people during the game. It’s just reckless, just being in the way at times. It’s an easy play to avoid.”
Irving must be basing this on the fact that the Milwaukee Bucks had 34 free throw attempts during the game, whereas Brooklyn only had 16 free throw attempts. In fact, Giannis Antetokounmpo had more free throw attempts by himself than the Nets did, making 15 of his 19 attempted shots during the game.
On top of that, Irving was injured during the playoff series between the Bucks and the Nets by Giannis last year and recently suggested that he doesn’t think the injury was an accident from Giannis.
In the end, the game came down to free throws. After a dangerous foul with 8 seconds left, Durant was given 3 free throws, which he made to give the Nets a 1-point lead. But Giannis got fouled with less than 2 seconds to go and made his 2 free throws to get the Bucks a 1-point lead that ultimately won them the game.
