“How do you have a smile on your face?” - Jay Williams questions 7-time All-Star’s behavior after getting swept in first round of the playoffs
ESPN's Jay Williams heavily criticized the Brooklyn Nets after they got swept by the Boston Celtics in the first round of the postseason on Monday.
On ESPN's "Keyshawn, JWill & Max," the former NBA player said Kyrie Irving's exchange of pleasantries with the Celtics after the game irked him. Williams said:
"This blows my mind. After the game was over, I'm watching Kyrie on the floor, and he is hugging and smiling with his former teammates after they have gotten swept. They got swept. They were the first preseason title favorite team to get swept in over 35 years. How do you have a smile on your face? Where is the intensity? I don't get it."
Boston swept Brooklyn thanks to the incredible defense played by Ime Udoka's men. The Celtics stuck to their game plan in all four games, executing it to perfection. Boston was without defensive stalwart Robert Williams III for the first two games.
Is Jay Williams right about Kyrie Irving's behavior?
It is perhaps no surprise that Kyrie Irving was exchanging pleasantries after the game considering he was part of the Celtics until a couple of years ago.
Irving and Kevin Durant had a shocking series as the suffocating Celtics defense kept The Slim Reaper and Irving at arm's length in all four games. They always seemed to double when either of them had the ball and cut out all the passing lanes.
The Nets are the first team in NBA history to shoot 50% from the field and 40% from three in the playoffs and get eliminated. https://t.co/CrKoqgwNt1
Durant also struggled tremendously in this series as he had multiple shots blocked by Jayson Tatum and others. That is extremely rare to see. Tatum matched KD for his size and length and was constantly a thorn in his side as he got physical with the two-time Finals MVP as well.
The postgame interaction will only compound the issue for fans. It is a bad look on the players when they are exchanging pleasantries with a team that just swept them in the postseason.
Kevin Durant misses the free throw and the Celtics go up 4 😱 https://t.co/MbZaQdQUgz
This Celtics team is a lot similar to the team that Irving was on before parting ways with the franchise to unite with Kevin Durant for the Brooklyn Nets. Thus, it makes sense to indulge in conversations and exchange pleasantries postgame with his old teammates. But the optics of this are not a good look as pointed out by basketball analyst Jay Williams.