The start wasn’t pretty, but the finish was beautiful. For a few minutes early on, Kyrie Irving looked the part of someone who hasn’t played in a competitive game in months. For 2.5 quarters, the Brooklyn Nets looked like a team that wanted no part of playing defense.
Irving’s talent eventually took over, as did the Nets. It took a full quarter for Irving to knock down his first bucket, but it eventually came in the second quarter. That basket was the first of many for the once-exiled star as he finished with 22 points on 9-for-17 shooting.