SHANGHAI — The first rule of preseason is to get through it healthy. The Nets aren’t close, with the starting backcourt of Kyrie Irving and Caris LeVert being forced out of Thursday’s highly-scrutinized game against the Lakers just :22 seconds apart in the first quarter.
After having already suffered a facial fracture in an offseason pickup game that cost him the start of training camp and the preseason opening win, Irving’s Nets debut didn’t last long. Just 1 minute and 6 seconds to be exact, aggravating the injury after getting hit in the face by Lakers point guard Rajon Rondo.