"I don't just wanna put it on Kev; it's a team game, I think myself, I take accountability" - Kyrie Irving blames himself for not putting Kevin Durant in better situations in Nets vs Celtics Game 2
Kyrie Irving has defended teammate Kevin Durant after the two-time Finals MVP put in another dismal performance for the Brooklyn Nets on Wednesday.
Steve Nash's team suffered a 114-107 loss to the Boston Celtics in Game 2 of their first-round series in the NBA playoffs. The Celtics are leading the series, 2-0.
Durant has shot only 13-41 in the last two games of the series and seems to be struggling to get the better of the resolute Boston defense.
Irving had a stellar Game 1, where he scored 39 points. However, his level dropped in Game 2 as he scored only 10 points on 30.8% shooting from the field. He made minimal impact in the game and could only manage a single assist in 40 minutes of action.
When asked what he could do to get Durant rolling, Irving replied:
"He shot 20 free throws, that doesn't happen often and I don't want to put it right on Kev because it's a team game and we really want to focus on our team cohesion and building that."
"That's been part of our points of emphasis in the locker room and during practices... is just raising our level and physicality, staying together through tough moments. You know, realising when our intensity is not at a certain level, we're just not playing the same."
Kyrie Irving on Kevin Durant's tough Game 2: "He shot 20 free throws. That doesn't happen often. I don't just wanna put it on Kev; it's a team game... It's not all on Kev. I think myself, I take accountability... As a PG, I gotta get him to his spots earlier."
Kevin Durant ended Game 2 with 27 points. Boston's suffocating defense enabled him to make 20 trips to the free-throw line, where he scored 18 times. Other than that, he had a disappointing outing.
Irving stated that Durant was not solely responsible for the loss and pointed out how he was also at fault for the defeat. He said:
"So, it's not all on Kev, I think you know for myself, I can take accountability, I think everybody on our team takes accountability, but for him specifically as a PG, I just got him to get him to his spots and make the game a lot easier and I believe I can do that."
Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant go cold in Brooklyn Nets' Game 2 loss to the Boston Celtics
The Brooklyn Nets came into the game in desperate need of a win. They started well, with Bruce Brown scoring nine straight points for them.
Boston made a few buckets, but Brooklyn responded well to eventually take a nine-point lead going into the second quarter.
Kyrie Irving
4-13 FG
Kevin Durant
4-17 FG (0-10 in the 2nd half), 6 turnovers and 5 fouls
Brooklyn down 0-2 😬 https://t.co/tokPr2NGHl
Both teams kept racking up buckets to make it an interesting matchup. The Nets had a ten-point lead going into halftime but were unable to maintain it for long as the Celtics came back strong in the second half.
Grant Williams, Payton Pritchard, and Jaylen Brown scored some big baskets to cut the deficit down. To add to their stellar work on offense, the Boston Celtics continued to make life miserable for Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving.
Points in the 4Q
8 — Payton Pritchard
6 — Kevin Durant
2 — Kyrie Irving https://t.co/aDlP6PjWgv
After trailing for the entire game, the Celtics finally took their first lead in the fourth quarter. From thereon, they kept adding buckets and would go on to take a 114-117 win on the night.
Jaylen Brown scored 22 points, while Jayson Tatum recorded 19 points and 10 rebounds for Boston.
The Celtics will now head to Brooklyn with a 2-0 lead, which will give them immense confidence to close the series out there.