The Brooklyn Nets protected home court against the visiting Charlotte Hornets, improving their record to 14-12. Now seeded 4th in the eastern conference, Jacque Vaughn and crew have won the last five of their six games, with one loss being against the 1st seed Boston Celtics.
Advertisement
It was a tight finish at home for the Nets, with the superstar duo of Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant combining for an impressive 62-points, with a crucial contribution from Seth Curry, who had a 20-piece on an efficient 8-for-11 shooting from the field.
In the news for severed ties with Nike, Uncle Drew was wearing The Kyrie 3 Raygun with a piece of tape covering the swoosh logo. The former Cavs champion also had a cryptic message penned on it.
Kyrie Irving covered up the Swoosh on his Nike Kyrie 3 with some messages following his official split with the company.
Irving is a sneaker free agent pic.twitter.com/xyKS4qN1qd
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) December 8, 2022
However, this didn’t deter the Nets guard from fulfilling his duties, coming up big-time clutch in his 33-point piece against the Hornets.
Also read: Amidst $11 Million Nike Contract Loss, Kyrie Irving Drops 29 In Skechers and Hanes Socks
Post his impressive two-way performance against the Hornets, Irving revealed what motivated him post the loss against the Cs.
Kyrie Irving on facing the Celtics and Nets back-to-back.
It’s been a roller coaster ride for the Nets this season, both on and off the court, with Irving playing a significant role in both. Fortunately, the team seems to have figured it out a bit off-late.
Quickly putting their recent loss against the Celtics behind them, the Nets had a nail-biting win over the visiting Hornets, with Irving being the leading scorer in the game. A positive development for his fans post his poor showing against his former team Celtics.
The seven-time All-Star who had 18-points on 7-for-21 shooting against the Celtics had the following to say post his recent game-high against Hornets.
Kyrie Irving: “When you go against Boston and you go against Charlotte back-to-back, you know, two games, you see the glaring differences between when you’re playing hard and you’re not playing hard enough. So I think that’s just a look in the mirror and a reality check.”
— Matt Brooks (@MattBrooksNBA) December 8, 2022
Hopefully, the Nets have identified their errors as they gear up to host Trae Young and the Hawks on Friday night.
Are the Brooklyn Nets legitimate contenders to win the east?
Given the star cast, one would assume the Nets finishing as a top 3 seed. Unfortunately, this is far away from the truth, given the inconsistencies of the roster, coupled with one of the worst defenses in the league.
Nevertheless, one still has faith in the abilities of Durant and Irving, which could be furthered if Ben Simmons ups his game in the coming days.
Also read: How Kyrie Irving’s Career Earnings Have Taken a $16 Million Hit Over 12 Years
