NEW YORK — As the Brooklyn Nets embark on one of the strangest logistical road trips in recent NBA history, star Kevin Durant plans to use two road games in Portland and Chicago to play Kyrie Irving's With "chemistry" as an opportunity to create. making his way back to the lineup.
"We're definitely a better team, a way better team [with Irving]," Durant said on Sunday after scoring 28 points in a 121-119 overtime win over the San Antonio Spurs. "And that's definitely going to give us a lift. So I'm looking forward to — some games on the road, an opportunity for us to build our chemistry. So I'm looking forward to it."
The Nets have been able to get that luxury when they reversed course last month and decided to allow Irving, who has not been vaccinated against COVID-19, to return to the roster as a part-time player . Irving, who returned to the Nets lineup on Wednesday during a win over the Indiana Pacers, is currently not able to play in home games because of New York City's vaccination mandate.
Nets coach Steve Nash said after Irving's first game that he didn't want to increase the 29-year-old's workload too quickly, but admitted that Sunday's overtime win was an opportunity, after heavy workloads from several key players. Will play a few more minutes in Portland on Monday. Irving played 32 minutes in Wednesday's win over the Pacers.
"We'll see," Nash said. "Usually with a game under his belt he could play a little more [Monday], so it's certainly possible."
Nash said that both James Harden and Durant would play against the Trail Blazers. When asked why he would want to play when so many stars can't afford to take a cross-country flight to play second nights of back-to-back in the analytics era that prioritizes comfort, Durant's reasoning was simple.
"I want to play," Durant said after 43 minutes of playing against Spurs. "And then they pay me to play basketball."
The Nets will play a lot of basketball next week, thanks to the rescheduled game against the Blazers, which was originally scheduled to be played on December 23 but had to be moved after the Nets dealt with the COVID-19 outbreak. After Monday's game, they will fly to Chicago for Wednesday's game against the Bulls, then fly back to New York for Thursday's game against the New Orleans Pelicans in Brooklyn.
Nash said, "I can't remember all the back-to-backs I've ever played in, but I can't remember back-to-back and any six-hour flight between three-hour time zones and all those things." do not remember." before the game. “So it is different, but we have to take it as an opportunity, an opportunity to succeed in adversity and in this moment where we are trying to rediscover ourselves – we have a hard back-to-back So, let's embrace it. Let's see if we can both win, and if we can both win, or at least play well at both, maybe that gives us a spark."
Nash didn't want to use the rescheduled game as an excuse—no matter what happens next week.
"I'm very hesitant to make excuses," Nash said. "We've got to attack it back-to-back. We've got to play well today. We'll play well today, we'll get on the plane, we'll start thinking about [Monday]. And when we get there we're going to be refreshed, Will try to figure out the best way to get revived and get ready to put on another good show. So I am very skeptical especially when we are facing a little adversity here, under any kind of excuse or any sort of ' For 'sad'. I am' [mentality]. We have to get down to business here and work hard, play well, play together and build day by day."
Spurs coach Greg Popovich echoed similar sentiments when asked before the game if he had ever seen a cross-to-back cross-to-back as if going through the nets.
"It's a tough one, obviously," Popovich said. "But I can remember the days when we used to play three matches in a row. So all kinds of crazy things go on, but you just deal with it. Every team gets some kind of situation that looks ridiculous. And nobody does it intentionally but it does happen."