Kyrie Irving last played in Madison Square Garden in 2019 as a part of the Boston Celtics. While it has only been three years, it feels like a much longer time has passed due to the turmoil of the last few years. Kyrie Irving definitely felt his absence from games in the ‘Mecca of Basketball’, but he finally got a chance to suit up tonight in the Nets massive comeback win over the Knicks.
The Nets were trailing by as much as 28 points but ended up winning the game 110-98, behind restricting the Knicks to just 31 points in the second, while scoring 60 themselves. Irving had a solid game with 24 points, 8 rebounds, 7 assists, and 3 steals. However, his shooting efficiency was sub-standard, as he shot 34.6% on his 26 shot attempts.
Either way, Irving was in a fantastic mood after his team secured the win and expressed it in his post-game interview.
NETS WIN‼️ @Grady catches up with Kyrie Irving to get his reaction after his first game as a Net at MSG.#NETSonYES pic.twitter.com/4KzQA4YI1Z
— YES Network (@YESNetwork) April 7, 2022
“I’m tired but it’s worth it. Team effort, total team effort. Dang, I was waiting to let that out. Down and out, that’s what I’m talking about. Resilience, it took teamwork, all of the above. It took every single ounce of energy we had. I broke my fast before the game, so I was trailing in. But this is a great group of guys. We’ve shown we can do anything to anybody every single night.”
The Knicks’ season was already over, but this is the second time they have blown a 20-point lead to the Nets this season. Considering the bitter cross-city rivalry between the teams, New York will be looking to have a strong comeback next season and try to challenge Brooklyn.
Kevin Durant led the Nets to victory with a 32-point triple-double on the night, with great performances from Seth Curry and Patty Mills helping Brooklyn get away with this one. But whether they can make a run for the championship is something people doubt, but we will have to wait and see