Kyrie Irving ruled out for Brooklyn Nets' game five matchup against the Milwaukee Bucks
The Brooklyn Nets' hopes of winning a championship took a huge blow on Monday. Coach Steve Nash announced that point guard Kyrie Irving would miss their crucial game five matchup against the Milwaukee Bucks.
Their semi-final series is finely balanced as the two teams head back to Brooklyn to play on Tuesday night. However the Nets will now be worried that their hopes of progressing to the finals are in jeopardy.
Kyrie Irving landed awkwardly in game four on Sunday, twisting his ankle and had to leave the game in the second quarter. The Nets would go on to lose the contest, while Irving did not return from the locker room. After an MRI scan came back on Monday, it was announced that he had suffered a sprained ankle and would definitely miss out on Tuesday night.
How will Kyrie Irving's absence affect the Brooklyn Nets in game five?
The announcement could prove devastating for the Brooklyn Nets. They already have had to play almost every minute of the series against the Milwaukee Bucks without James Harden. Harden's return is currently unknown, though we do know that he will also miss out in game five and that Kevin Durant will be left to bear the offensive load for his side.
In games one and two, the Nets were successful in stifling the Milwaukee Bucks and ran out comfortable winners in both without 'The Beard'. However, it has now become a monumental task for Nash and his coaching staff to replace not one, but two 20+ point a night players. Especially given the fact that the Bucks held Brooklyn under 100 points in games three and four.
Kyrie Irving is irreplaceable to this Brooklyn Nets side as one of the most experienced ball-handlers and scorers in the league. He has championship know-how and runs their offense, facilitating shooters such as Durant and Joe Harris.
Now the Nets will have to run their offense through Durant, who has arguably not played that role since entering the NBA. He is the sort of star you look to if you need a bucket and will make cuts to the rim for dunks or to draw contact in the lane. Therefore, not only have the Brooklyn Nets lost 20+ points a night and a lot of their offensive creativity, they have also lost the key piece through which they run their plays.
In Kyrie Irving and James Harden's absences, Mike James stepped up and played big minutes on the backcourt. He will no doubt start on Tuesday night and will be thrust into the spotlight. So too will Joe Harris, who will have to create more shooting opportunities for himself as the secondary scorer on the team. It could be a decisive night for Nets fans.