NEW YORK – When Kyrie Irving asked to be traded from the Brooklyn Nets in 2023, he wanted to leave to “get my own peace of mind and go somewhere where I was able to thrive”.
On the first anniversary of his move to the Dallas Mavericks, the guard returned to the Barclays Centre on Feb 6 and showed his old team what they had lost with 36 points as the Mavericks beat the Nets 119-107 in the National Basketball Association (NBA).
In a veiled message to his former team, the 31-year-old Irving said he had learnt his lessons and all he wants to do now is move forward with bigger goals in mind.
“I don’t want to get too deep into it because I love protecting the people I’m in business with, even if it doesn’t work out. It was time to get my own peace of mind and go somewhere where I was able to thrive, and be in a situation where I didn’t have to worry about behind-the-back talk or the media talk or not knowing how to handle real-life circumstances that has nothing to do with the game of basketball,” he was quoted as saying by ESPN.
“It has everything to do with how you handle someone as a person. While I was here, I learnt a lot of lessons. I’ve made my peace again and I just want to move forward... just handle it in Dallas and going after my second championship.”
Irving received some jeers from the home crowd, but had already reached 16 points early in the second quarter. He silenced the crowd with a stunning dunk in the third quarter from an alley-oop to give the Mavs a 74-52 lead. He was six of 10 from outside the arc, including two key three-pointers to stop a spell of momentum from the Nets in the fourth.
With Luka Doncic putting up 35 points, 18 rebounds and nine assists, the Mavs dominated as they improved to 28-23 while Brooklyn slipped to 20-30.
Doncic, who shed a protective mask for his nose injury, said it was great to have Irving back after the eight-time All Star returned from a six-game injury absence for their win in Philadelphia on Feb 5.
“We are just dangerous when we are both aggressive. We did a great job. We are just trying to get healthy and get everyone back. We haven’t really played healthy. It is tough to play on the road. We did a great job both games, sharing the ball,” the Slovenian said.
Over at Footprint Centre, Irving’s former Brooklyn teammate Kevin Durant finished with 28 points and Devin Booker scored 32 as the Phoenix Suns defeated the Milwaukee Bucks 114-106.
Giannis Antetokounmpo led Milwaukee’s scoring with 34 points, but was unable to prevent the Bucks falling to a fourth defeat in five games since new coach Doc Rivers took over in January.
In other games on Feb 6, the New York Knicks defeated the Memphis Grizzlies 123-113 but were left sweating on a possible injury to Jalen Brunson. The guard scored 27 points and provided eight assists before he picked up what seemed to be an ankle injury.
The short-handed Knicks, without Julius Randle and O.G. Anunoby, had been cruising after going in 70-46 up at the half, but allowed the Grizzlies to score nine three-pointers in the fourth to get within four points with two minutes to go.
However, New York, for whom Donte DiVincenzo top-scored with 32 points, were able to rally and see out the win to the relief of head coach Tom Thibodeau.
“Second half, our defence wasn’t very good. They shot threes, we didn’t challenge, they made them. But getting the win is the most important thing, just finding a way to win,” he said.
The Miami Heat have struggled at home of late, winning just one of their last six games in south Florida, but they were too much for state rivals Orlando Magic as they ran out 121-95 winners.
The Heat had seven players put up double figures led by Jimmy Butler, who contributed 23 points, eight rebounds and eight assists. Miami’s defence was also strong, limiting their opponents to 43.8 per cent shooting from the field and 10 of 35 from outside the arc.
Pascal Siakam scored 29 points as the Indiana Pacers improved to 29-23 with a 132-129 win over the Houston Rockets. AFP
