INDIANAPOLIS — Brooklyn Nets guard Kyrie Irving scored 22 points, four assists, three rebounds and three steals in 32 minutes during his season debut in a 129-121 win over the Indiana Pacers on Wednesday night.
Irving started the game and received some cheers and a few boos during pregame introductions. He looked a little rusty in nine first-quarter minutes, going 0-for-3 from the field with two turnovers, but he showed flashes of his old form as the game progressed, including several key baskets down the stretch. He finished the game with a plus-16 plus/minus
Irving, who is not vaccinated for COVID-19, returned to the floor Wednesday after the Nets reversed course last month and decided to allow him to rejoin the team as a part-time player. Irving is not eligible to play in home games because of the New York City vaccination mandate. After the team decided before the season that it didn’t want to have a part-time player, Nets coach Steve Nash was asked prior to Wednesday’s game why the arrangement would work now.
“When we realized how much stuff was thrown at us, COVID, COVID got dicey,” Nash said. “We ended up having 13 players who had COVID. We were going around signing a bunch of [10-day contracts] when we have a guy who can play for us, so what’s the difference between a 10-day and a guy — those are part-time players, too.
“It was an opportunity to bring [Irving] back in the fold and use a resource that we have that we weren’t using. So, everything has been in flux this season and last season, so I think there’s the other case to it, too. We have been adaptable. We’ve found solutions. We’ve found ways to work through situations. We’re going to bring him back in now.”
The Nets, who were once down as many as 19 points in Wednesday’s come-from-behind win, snapped a three-game losing streak with the victory.
As pleased as they should be about the comeback, Nash and his coaching staff have to hope they can bring Irving and the rest of the group back up to speed quickly, especially on the defensive end. The Pacers, who came into Wednesday’s game with a 14-24 record, playing on the second night of a back-to-back, repeatedly beat the Nets up and down the floor through the first three quarters.
Nets star Kevin Durant led the way Wednesday, scoring 39 points as the Nets outscored the Pacers 35-20 in the fourth quarter.
Irving’s next game will be next Monday in Portland, which was originally scheduled to be played on Dec. 23 but had to be postponed because the Nets were dealing with a COVID-19 outbreak.
