A win over the Philadelphia 76ers on Thursday would’ve been a real feel-good victory for the Brooklyn Nets after the devastating news about Kyrie Irving came out prior to the game.
Though, playing without Irving isn’t exactly something new for the Nets. He has only played in 20 games all season, yet, if the season had ended with Thursday’s loss, Brooklyn would be in the playoffs as the No. 7 seed.
Facing the No. 2 seed in the East to open up the postseason isn’t where the Nets necessarily wanted to be to start the 2020 NBA Playoffs after they added Irving, Kevin Durant and DeAndre Jordan over the summer, but Brooklyn’s season is just as much about perseverance as it is disappointment — disappointment that’s been out of Brooklyn’s control.
Spencer Dinwiddie is having a career year and inserted himself in the All-Star conversation. And he doesn’t expect to slow down as the playoffs draw near:
We have the talent to still be a good team, still make the playoffs, and to your point, do special things. It’s just all about coming together, being cohesive, and pushing forward.
The rest of the season is also important for Caris LeVert, who dealt with an injury last season and got hurt again earlier in 2019-20. But, he is healthy and has found his rhythm:
Obviously, we feel bad for [Irving]. He wants to be out here with us. That’s first and foremost. He definitely worked extremely hard to come back. It’s just a series of unfortunate things that happened with him. So, we just have a next-man-up mentality right now and try to finish out this season the right way. We all know we’re trying to get to the playoffs, so that’s in our sights right now.
With those two leading the Nets, along with DeAndre Jordan serving as the steady veteran voice, Brooklyn will continue to give team fits — and they might even surprise some.
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Quotes provided by Ky Carlin of the USA TODAY Sports Media Group.