Wednesday night at Barclays Center, the injured Warriors were missing a number of its top players, while Kyrie Irving was also unable to play for the Nets due to right calf discomfort.
After returning from an eight-game ban, Irving had started 14 of the previous 15 games. The only game he missed was the Nets’ victory over Indiana on December 10 despite resting eight starters, including Kevin Durant.
After the Nets’ 143-113 victory, head coach Jacque Vaughn stated, “He’ll be evaluated again on Thursday, but we’re hopeful that he’ll be able to play on Friday [against Milwaukee].”
The Warriors were missing mainstays Stephen Curry (shoulder), Andrew Wiggins (adductor), and Klay Thompson when they lost to the Knicks at Madison Square Garden on Tuesday night (load management). Also absent from the game were Donte DiVincenzo (non-COVID illness) and JaMychal Green (health and safety standards).
Kyrie Irving sat out the Nets’ 143-113 victory over the Warriors due to a right calf injury.
Next summer, Warriors head coach Steve Kerr aims to convince Durant to participate in the 2023 FIBA World Cup. Kerr, who coached Durant with the Golden State Warriors, is Team USA’s head coach.
“Kevin likes basketball. He like playing. I therefore have high hopes that he will play during the following couple of summers. So we’ll just wait and see,” Kerr added. “He’s been so dominant for Team USA, and he’s a person who loves to play, so we’re hopeful he’ll continue.”
Durant, who scored 23 points to surpass Paul Pierce for the 16th spot on the all-time scoring list, stated after the game that he enjoys playing for his nation, but he has not yet made a decision.
During the Nets’ lopsided victory, Kevin Durant, who scored 23 points, attempts a fadeaway jumper.
Durant stated that a battle between the Knicks and Nets on Christmas would have been “a good game,” but he acknowledged that his summer trade demand “probably had something to do” with the Nets not being set to play on the holiday this year.
During the third quarter, Nets supporters screamed “Draymond punched you” while Jordan Poole was at the foul line, referring to Draymond Green. In October, the Warriors teammates fought during practice. Poole scored 13 points on 1-for-11 3-point shooting and 4-for-17 shooting overall.
With nine players scoring in double figures, the Nets tied a franchise record. Markieff Morris and Yuta Watanabe both finished with nine points, but they could have had more. … After missing the previous two games due to a non-COVID sickness, Patty Mills scored 13 points in 13 minutes. Joe Harris replaced Irving in the starting lineup and scored 11 points in 19 minutes.
»Kyrie Irving of the Nets is sidelined with a right calf strain«