NEW Orleans — In spite of having 7-for-22 shooting on the night, Kyrie Irving was able to smile when he got off the court following the 108-102 victory against the Pelicans on Friday night at Smoothie King Center.
As he has done throughout his career of the star-crossed saga the 30-year-old made the most powerful shot in the game: a dagger 3-pointer from 30 feet away with only 43 seconds remaining. This allowed Nets Nets their 13th win over the past 14 games.
“I finally got a shot in,” Irving said.
Over the last month and a half, the Nets have been riding the fireballs that of Irving and the star player Kevin Durant to beat teams in the offensive department however, Friday’s victory was another win in the face of an unimpressive shooting night where the dynamic pair only shot 16-for-48 from the floor.
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In the game that could have gone from the Nets but it was the resolute Irving who saved the day.
“Basketball’s simply an art form,” Irving said. “So If I don’t put all of my distractions, or things I’m thinking about in the sport, I think we’re in with the best chance to win every game.”
The Nets have established winning as an everyday thing since manager Jacque Vaughn took over in the early part of November. The team is continuing to show an underlying mental toughness that wasn’t evident at the start of the regular season. The edge is continuing to shine for Irving as he has returned from a suspension of eight games imposed after a tweet that promoted a film and book focused on antisemitic themes.
“He simply is able to embrace the moment, no matter what has happened before,” Vaughn said. “And the fact that he allowed Kevin to throw the ball over to him and Kevin sort of had an iso in his elbow, is a testament to how much they’ve grown as a team. However, [Irving] has the incredible ability to erase the events that occurred before, and to be in the moment, taking the full benefit of this moment to shine.”
Irving said he’s worked on his approach to the game in the past year, a strategy that Durant believes is the main reason why Irving is able to still score big, no matter how he might have struggled previously during the game.
“He takes it as only a few minutes before the match,” Durant said. “That’s how relaxed and calm he appears. While the stakes might be different between the beginning of the game, and the final game, I’m convinced that his approach is the same no matter what time it is in the game. He is cool and calm, while at ease during tense moments. It’s like walking in the park for him.
“The best players understand that each play is vital and if you remain even on your feet throughout the entire game, you’re typically well-prepared for the 4th.”
How did Irving find the approach that he takes in his current life?
“Studying the greatest athletes and striving to become better in comparison to them” Irving said. “You take a look at the most famous athletes of professional sports across the spectrum of players, typically, you’ll notice some similarity. Also, there’s something in common with how they manage emotions after the game.
“I’ve been able to master this as time goes on however, I believe the most important thing I’ve been in a position to learn this year is working with my fellow teammates, being disciplined as well as going through a lot of stuff internally or externally and then us figuring out the details.”
The Nets are always looking for methods to make games win rather than looking for ways to lose them at the beginning of the year. They’re the most exciting group in the league, and they are a team that believes their best is still ahead of them. When they were getting ready to take a flight to Miami to prepare for Saturday’s match at home against The Heat, Irving wasn’t the only one of the team’s travelling group sporting smiles about what they’d accomplished.
“We’ve won a lot of wins this season, but this one stands out to me personally,” Vaughn said. “Just because we’re in a different arena in the 11th inning, we couldn’t shoot well, and it was important for us to stick in the game, and not lose our vigilance when we travel to believe that we could be victorious. And having a stretch of time that we weren’t making enough shots to defend, but to remain in sync, to stick in the game, says a lot about the team as they’ve grown closer. It’s a great victory, particularly when you’re on the road after an earlier loss.”
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