Durant was injured and the Nets were badly damaged, and in the away game against the Cavaliers, Harden and Irving combined to blast down 49 points, but the team still lost the game. After the game, the Nets also received 3 messages, in which Irving once again expressed his position, at least for now, there are no vaccination plans; Harden's prospects are worrying, and the offseason may choose to leave; the team is still making some moves in the free market, wanting to see the 22-year-old Clarkston.
The road against the Cavaliers also gave Irving a chance to play, and this time he also performed very well, shooting 12 of 23, 3 of 6 three-pointers, and had a comprehensive stat of 27 points, 7 rebounds and 9 assists. In the third quarter, Irving was full of firepower, 6 of 8 in a single quarter, 14 points and 3 assists, leading the team to reverse the score. Unfortunately, the team failed to continue the state in the last quarter, was suppressed by the opponent, and only scored 19 points in a single quarter, so it was abandoned and lost the game.
After the game, the media asked Owen about the vaccination and mentioned Durant's injury, this time Irving reiterated his position, "No, I have made a decision, I will stick to it." My position has always been that I respect what other people do with their bodies and the decisions that others make for their own livelihoods, and I support them. But for myself, I need to cope with every day. "I have to say that Owen is still very determined, and will not change his position for some objective reasons, if it is so easy to change, he would have chosen to vaccinate."
The Irving thing has caused the Nets some headaches, and Harden's side has also been in the situation. Marc Stein reported that the league believes Harden is willing to change the team, and the 76ers have been waiting for such an opportunity. Originally, the Nets planned to complete an early contract extension with the Big Three last summer, and after the renewal of Durant, the target was Harden and Irving, but Irving refused to be vaccinated, which also made their contract extensions blow up and disrupted the team's plans. If the Big Three break up after 2 seasons, Irving's stance could make the Nets' efforts futile.
The Nets also want to strengthen the team, and after selling guard Carter did not make progress, they were evaluating Clarkston's trading prospects. The 22-year-old interior is also a good trade chip for the Nets, averaging 9.2 points and 5.5 rebounds per game this season, and was originally the team's starting center, but unfortunately suffered from injuries. Now rookie Sharp has seized the opportunity to show his potential, which may be the reason why the team began to explore trades, after all, both are very young, and it is enough to keep one.