Kyrie Irving's 36 points lead Mavericks' win over Nets
Mavericks guard Kyrie Irving hugs Nets guard Cam Thomas after their game at Barclays Center in Brooklyn on Tuesday. Credit: Brad Penner
Kyrie Irving didn’t get a tribute video from the Nets when he was introduced Tuesday. He didn’t even get a loud chorus of boos as they were mixed with some cheers at Barclays Center.
What Irving got in his first game back at Barclays Center was another chance to shine in the Mavericks’ 119-107 win. He returned with 36 points against his former team, including 6-of-10 on three-pointers.
Despite being booed early when he touched the ball, Irving wasn’t deterred. He missed his first two shots then made nine of his next 11 to finish the first half.
“It felt like I was home tonight,” said Irving, who made six three-pointers. “Getting here early, warming up early. Just getting a good sense of the rims, the atmosphere, what’s it’s going to be like…just letting the game come to me and allowing the basketball gods to do the rest.”
When the Nets (20-30) got within six points with 5:22 left, it was Irving who pushed the Mavericks (28-23) back up with consecutive three-pointers to give them breathing room after leading by as many as 23 points.
“It’s tough. (Kyrie) has an extreme ability to shot make versus anyone. I thought he had some timely buckets for that group,” coach Jacque Vaughn said.
He got help from Luka Doncic, who had 35 points, 18 rebounds and nine assists. Doncic had his own downtown daggers with a pair of 30-foot three-pointers to end the third quarter as the Nets trailed by 18.
Instead of a video, the Nets isplayed a “Welcome Back” graphic on their jumbotron for him, Seth Curry and Markieff Morris. Irving, who spent 3 1/2 seasons with the Nets before his trade to Dallas last February, was the first Mavericks player introduced but even the boos got faint as he put on a show.
He also showed off in the third quarter with a one-handed dunk on an alley-oop pass from Josh Green. It was just his second dunk of the season and per NBA.com, the first alley-oop dunk of his NBA career.
Irving finished shooting 15-for-24 while Doncic was 13-for-27 from the field.
"For (Kyrie) and Luka to shoot a high percentage tonight (and) for us to still be in the game is a credit to our guys,” Vaughn said.
The Nets, who fell 10 games under .500 for the second time this season, dealt with being down five players due to injury, including starter Cam Johnson (left hip). It meant Ben Simmons returned to the starting lineup for the first time since Nov. 6.
With three starters playing 36 minutes or more Monday, the Nets looked ragged, especially defensively as the Mavericks shot 57.8% in the first half.
The Nets got within nine, 84-75 in the third quarter but the Mavericks pulled back away with an 11-0 run, capped by Doncic’s two long three-pointers. Still, the Nets had one last push in them. They opened the fourth quarter shooting 5-of-7 on threes and a three by rookie Jalen Wilson cut the lead to nine again.
“Just being unselfish, playing together,” Simmons said. “I think it’s simple for us. As long as everybody gets involved, we’re gonna be a pretty good team.”
Spencer Dinwiddie got the lead to six on a three-point play with 5:22 left. That’s when Irving had one final say with his two threes to close things out.
Mikal Bridges, who played 43 minutes Monday, had 28 points in 38 minutes on 11-of-21 shooting. Royce O’Neale had 18 points off the bench following his 15-point night Monday. Wilson, playing his first game since Jan. 3, had 10 points and four rebounds.
Cam Thomas had 16 points and career-highs with eight points and eight assists. Nic Claxton added 11 rebounds and five blocks to go with nine points.
Simmons had nine points, nine rebounds and seven assists in 20 minutes, the most since his return. He also threw down an alley-oop dunk from Bridges in the fourth quarter.
Alas, it was just the second-most surprising alley-oop of the night behind Irving, who stole the show and the crowd coming back to Brooklyn.
“I’m not perfect but one thing I can say I’ve been able to learn from things and continue to push forward,” Irving said. “Now I’m around some good people. That’s all that matters.”
Evan Barnes covers the Nets for Newsday. He previously covered Memphis football and the Memphis Grizzlies and also covered prep sports in Los Angeles.
