Kyrie Irving made a triumphant return to Brooklyn, scoring 36 points to lead the Dallas Mavericks to a 119-107 victory over the Nets exactly one year after he was traded.
Teaming up with Luka Doncic, who contributed 35 points, 18 rebounds, and nine assists, Irving displayed his offensive prowess in a dazzling performance. The Mavericks relied on their guard tandem, particularly in the second half, to fend off the Nets’ attempts at a comeback.
Despite initial boos from the crowd, Irving received cheers for his impressive plays, including a thunderous slam dunk off a lob pass in the third quarter.
The short-handed Nets, missing key players, put up a fight, with Mikal Bridges scoring 28 points and Royce O’Neal adding 18. They managed to trim a 23-point deficit to six points with about five minutes remaining, but Irving’s timely 3-pointers dashed their hopes of a comeback.
In other NBA action:
- The Phoenix Suns defeated the short-handed Milwaukee Bucks 114-106, with Devin Booker leading the charge with 32 points, while Kevin Durant’s 28 points helped seal the victory for Phoenix.
- Despite a valiant effort from Anthony Edwards, who scored 38 points, the Minnesota Timberwolves fell to the Chicago Bulls 129-123 in overtime. Coby White and DeMar DeRozan each scored 33 points for the Bulls.
- The New York Knicks secured a 123-113 win over the Memphis Grizzlies in a hard-fought contest
