The Nets' game against the Pacers is one of the focus battles in the league this season, not because of how close the two teams are, on the contrary, the two teams have a double-digit difference in winning, but because Irving, who has been absent from the game until this game, will make his first comeback in this game, which is something that almost all fans have paid attention to so far this season.
Before this game, durant's return to the Nets have suffered three consecutive losses, so winning this game is crucial for them, plus this game will test whether Irving can quickly integrate into the team, so the Nets team has paid special attention to this game. For most of the first three quarters of the game, though, the Pacers relied on Stephenson's magic to maintain a double-digit lead. But in the fourth quarter, the Nets' state suddenly recovered, and the whole team finally completed the reversal by winning the Pacers 129:121 on the road, ending a three-game losing streak.
The focus of the game was undoubtedly on Irving, after all, this was his first game of the season. Before the game began, Nash had already announced that Irving would play about 30 minutes in this game. In the end, Irving played 32 minutes in this game, shooting 9 of 17 of 2 of 3-pointers, 2 of 0 of 17 shots, got 4 free throw opportunities and hit all of them, cut the team's second-highest 22 points, in addition to 3 rebounds, 4 assists and 3 steals, played a very good performance.
In this game, Irving was given the opportunity to start the game, and the Nets' first offense was handed over to Irving, and soon he assisted Durant to help the team score the first point. However, Irving's personal offensive performance in the first quarter was not good, and although he still had a gorgeous dribble, his layup was either iron or blocked by the opponent, and he was replaced after five minutes. After playing again, he was not able to score, and only 3 shots were 0 in the first quarter, and he only got 1 point and 1 steal. Just when fans were worried, Irving completely announced his return in the second quarter.
At the beginning of the second quarter, Irving scored his first point of the season by completing a picturesque jump shot near the free throw line with a one-on-one single. On the next offense, Irving once again met the defensive dry hit. After this scoring, Irving completed a steal and foul on the defensive end, taking two more points through the free throws. And that's not all, on the next offense, Irving grabbed the rebound and then a dragon went to the basket and scored the ball in front of the duo's defense. In just three minutes, he scored eight points for the Nets. In addition to individual scoring, Irving also delivered three assists in the second quarter to help the team close to the score.
In the last three minutes of the game, Irving launched a dragon fast attack from the back, breaking through five people and then scoring the ball to continue to extend the lead. In the final 2 minutes and 47 seconds, Irving once again scored a smooth breakthrough goal, this time a goal that was also a final word for the team. In this crucial quarter of the game, Irving single-handedly scored 10 points. Judging from the course of this game, although he has not played a game for nearly half a season, Irving still maintains a very good personal condition. Consecutive points in the second quarter and a 10-pointer in the crucial final quarter are typical of Irving's style.
However, after all, it is the first game of return, and Irving's state still has a lot of room for further improvement. First of all, Irving actually relies more on mid-range jumpers, and his speed at the time of the breakout has also decreased to a certain extent. Including in a fast attack, Irving's choice was to stop and pull rather than kill the basket, which has a lot to do with the fact that he has not played for a long time. When playing a fast breakout, many of Irving's movements are not as smooth as before, but rely on physical fitness to score the ball. Secondly, Irving did not shoot many three-pointers in this campaign, only 2 shots in the whole game and did not hit any shots, which also takes time to recover in the feel.
Of course, Irving's best news for the Nets as long as they can return to the game, although the Nets have still achieved a very good record without Irving this season, but they can't win the championship without Irving. From this game, Irving's presence has also provided great help to the Nets. After Irving's return, the Nets terminated the three-game losing streak, which is only a reflection of one aspect, and more importantly, the Nets currently have more offensive options and have a very strong firepower point at key moments, even if Harden is lost again, the Nets can win the game.
For Irving's return, the Nets players have expressed a warm welcome, with Harden saying that it is really good that Irving is back, and Durant also said that Irving is really fantastic, and his return has made everyone a lot easier. According to statistics, the Nets have played a record of 12 wins and 3 losses in the games in which the Big Three have played at the same time, which is a very terrible record, but at the same time, it can also be seen that the number of games in which the three have cooperated is very few. In the current league structure, this season will be the best opportunity for the Big Three to storm the championship.
Of course, Irving is not fully back at present, according to New York's epidemic prevention regulations, if Irving continues not to vaccinate, then he will not be able to play at home, that is, Irving can only play away, which will undoubtedly have a great impact on the Nets' key playoff games. Of course, that's better than Irving never being able to play, and after the Big Three reunite, they'll be the most competitive team in the league.