The net guard Kyrie Irving missed Thursday’s game against the 76ers for personal reasons. And shortly before the tip, Nets trainer Steve Nash said he had no idea what these reasons were.
Nash is already without Kevin Durant due to the contact tracing quarantine. But the Nets coach didn’t find out he’d lost his fellow All-Star until 30 minutes before his pre-game press conference, and Nash had no explanation as to why less than two hours before the tip at the Barclays Center against the top team of the Eastern Conference.
« I don’t know. I sent him a message. I just found out. So I sent him a message in the last half hour and haven’t heard anything, » Nash said. « Obviously thinking I to him and hope everything is fine and yes, it’s a private matter. «
According to a report from The Athletic, Irving is fine but there is no schedule for his return.
The Nets have also lost point guard Tyler Johnson by contacting, although Nash has confirmed that Durant – who was originally expected to miss four games – could be back after just three games, which means he may go on Sunday gen the thunder will return at the Barclays Center.
« I think Kevin’s situation is that if he continues to test negative, he can play Sunday, » said Nash. « That’s all I have to do with it. Hopefully I can’t wait until Sunday. »
In his Nets debut last season, he only played 20 games after his campaign was interrupted by shoulder surgery had been. Irving also left the garden on January 26th after learning of Kobe Bryant’s tragic death and did not play the Knicks that night.
This time, Irving not only has a hot start to the season, but also makes an impressive appearance as he ran the networks to a Jazz 130-96 router on Tuesday.
However, Nash said this was not just a case where Irving’s privacy was being respected, but that he actually had no idea why the point guard was being used not at the Barclays Center.
« Not me. I haven’t spoken to him yet. I wrote to him, » said Nash. « When I found out, I came here and basically talked to you guys, so I don’t have an update on him. »
Irving finished sixth in the NBA on Thursday (27.1), seventh place in 3-pointers (26) and fourth place in plus-minus (94), followed by Tobias Harris, Joel Embiid and Giannis Antetokounmpo.
The loss of Irving – even if it is only temporary – intensified the problems of the networks in the background. You are not only without Durant, but also without Johnson and start guard Spencer Dinwiddie (right ACL operation). With Nic Claxton (right knee tendinopathy) and Reggie Perry (left groin pain), the Nets only had 11 players on Thursday.
“It’s separated from Kevin. Completely isolated from Kevin’s situation, ”said Nash of Johnson. « And he hasn’t tested positive for COVID so he’s basically just on a contact tracing log and tested negative and will go through that log and hopefully he will continue to test negative. »
The 76ers (7-1) posed an opponent as stiff as the nets could possibly have pulled with an underhand.
Doc Rivers, Philadelphia coach, waived Coachspeak, admitting the nets had a serious disadvantage than both Durant and Irving were robbed. The trick was to focus your own 76s against the shorthanded nets.
« Listen, we’re not going to trick them. We’re not going to tell them, » Hey, you know they’re the same without these two guys. « It just doesn’t work, » said Rivers. « We have to take care of ourselves, you know what I mean? We just have to keep getting better and better and taking advantage of every night that we don’t quote have a better chance of winning and these are one of them without their key figures. “
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