The Brooklyn Nets and All-Star guard Kyrie Irving are back in action versus the Portland Trail Blazers this Tuesday, 11:00 AM. Catch the game on NBA League Pass!
The Nets are fresh from a thrilling overtime victory against the San Antonio Spurs. A running floater from Cam Thomas in the clutch sealed the 121-119 win for the Nets, helping them climb to 25-13, good for second place in the East.
Kevin Durant was the star with 28 points and six assists, while James Harden delivered an all-around performance of 26 points, seven rebounds, and 12 assists.
Brooklyn should be eager to welcome back Irving, who made his season debut against the Indiana Pacers last Thursday. He finished with 22 points, three rebounds, four assists and three steals, looking every bit like the superstar we all remembered from last season.
Unfortunately, Irving will not be able to match up with his superstar counterpart in Damian Lillard. The Blazers definitely miss their All-Star guard, who is set to miss his fifth straight game and will reportedly not join the team in their upcoming six-game road trip. They currently sit at 11th place with a 15-24 record.
In Lillard’s absence, Anfernee Simons has done an admirable job filling in. In the past week, Simons has averaged 28.3 points highlighted by 5.3 treys, as well as seven assists per contest. Portland has just been wrecked by injuries, as they are also missing Lillard’s usual backcourt mate CJ McCollum in the lineup.
The Blazers will need to pick up the pieces and find a way to get victories to salvage a playoff run this season. Will they be able to slow down the full-force Nets?
