"Kai, get the f**king ball" - Kyrie Irving recalls James Harden's words that pushed him to finish strong in the 4th quarter vs San Antonio Spurs
Following the Brooklyn Nets' 117-102 win against the San Antonio Spurs, the franchise found itself on a two-game winning streak. Their win was courtesy of a strong fourth quarter performance by Kyrie Irving.
Irving had 24 points for the night in 35 minutes of playing time. He recorded 15 of his 24 points in the fourth quarter and led Brooklyn to an aggressive start as he knocked down seven points in a hurry to open up the game.
At the postgame press conference, Irving addressed the reasoning behind his aggressive scoring in the fourth quarter. The guard mentioned he took some time to refocus himself at half-time, resulting in a crucial phase where he could knock down shots in the fourth quarter. Irving also mentioned how he drew inspiration from team-mate James Harden. He said:
"I came out of halftime kinda with a deeper focus and that third quarter just flew by, in my opinion. Watching James (Harden) just be himself was very special. You can get easily caught up by just watching. You know, he's so great at just getting one-on-one and when he's feeling it. I mean, he just makes the game so much easier for everyone else."
The Nets guard revealed that he reflected upon the nature of his attempted shots and was urged by Harden to keep going. Irving added:
"So I was just trying to get out of his way and then when I came to the bench, I felt like I took some shots that just weren't in alignment. I didn't get to my spots easy- as easy as I wanted to. Bench was supportive as we've ever been saying, 'It's gonna come. It's gonna come.' James yelled at me. It's not a negative yell. But he yelled at me."
"He was like, "Kai, get the f-ing ball!" in the third quarter after he had scored- I don't know how many he had scored, you know. So, I kinda took that personal and wanted to come out in the fourth quarter with an aggressive mindset and play off the flow of the offense."
Kyrie Irving on what led to his strong 4th quarter vs. San Antonio tonight:
"James yelled at me - 'Kai, get the f-ing ball'" in the 3rd quarter...so I kind of took that personal and wanted to come out in the 4th quarter with an aggressive mindset" https://t.co/1rb1tae95F
On the back of a stellar game by James Harden, who recorded a triple-double of 37 points, 10 rebounds and 11 assists, the Brooklyn Nets also continued to enjoy the contributions of Kyrie Irving in his limited capacity.
Irving had 24 points for the night in 35 minutes of playing time. Recording 15 of his 24 points in the fourth quarter, Irving led Brooklyn to an aggressive fourth quarter start as he knocked down seven points in a hurry to open up the game.
The best backcourt in the NBA tonight:
Harden:
37 points
10 rebounds
11 assists
54/50/100 splits
Kyrie:
24 points (15 in the 4th!!)
3 rebounds
4 assists
48/50/100 splits https://t.co/nwevd1NXCH
As the side continues to rally back to return to the top spot in the East, Kyrie Irving emerges as a significant difference maker in the absence of Kevin Durant.
Kyrie Irving gives the Brooklyn Nets a much-needed competitve edge
After spending months on the sidelines due to existing vaccine mandates, Kyrie Irving made his return to the Brooklyn Nets in limited capacity on January 5th against the Indiana Pacers.
Irving is only available for road games. However, Irving's return has been a welcome sight for fans of the franchise. In six appearances Kyrie Irving has made with Brooklyn, the team has enjoyed a 4-2 record.
While that number doesn't impress to a great extent, having Kyrie Irving back in the rotation definitely gives the Brooklyn Nets a competitive edge. Although it created chemistry issues early on, as the rotation continued to settle around superstar guard, the Brooklyn Nets saw the return of one of the most gifted scorers in the modern era.
Kyrie Irving back in Cleveland, going to work on his old floor https://t.co/GmJPzrYyn1
Irving was a key factor in delivering the win for the Brooklyn Nets in their previous game as well. Recording 30 points against the Washington Wizards, the 29-year old guard is a significant addition to Brooklyn's offensive firepower.
The Nets will continue their road trip with a visit to Minnesota to face the Timberwolves on Sunday. Hoping to see some consistency from their newly returned superstar, the Brooklyn Nets will also hope to stack another win to build on their win-streak.