After beating the Cavaliers to seal the playoff spot, the Nets’ opponent in the first-round series was also determined to be the Boston Celtics. For the Nets backcourt core Irving, this is a very familiar opponent. Remember that in 2017, Irving decided to leave James on his own, and the Celtics were his first stop. However, after just two years, the partnership between the two parties ended in a farce. Since then, Irving has been seen as the Greens’ nemesis. Now returning to the North Shore Gardens to compete in the series, Owen said before the game that he did not want to be regarded as a villain by the fans of the Green Army.
“It’s been three years,” Irving said. “Hopefully in four years, or after this series, we can forget something that happened. For me, I don’t want to talk about anything outside the team. things, don’t want to talk about the fans, don’t want to talk about anything outside my control.”
“When I go to the North Shore Garden, I will deal with all possible situations. I am looking forward to this, that is, I will enter the game with extreme concentration, and I will carry out the team’s requirements with a fearless attitude. Accept the outcome of everything. I hope everyone will turn the page about my past in Boston and think about the highlights I left here, just to look forward and open a new chapter,” Irving said.
Remember that in last year’s playoffs, the Brooklyn Nets easily defeated the Celtics 4-1 to advance to the second round. In that round of the series, the Green Army fans booed Owen at home, and some extreme fans even attacked Owen with water bottles. “Everything is fair in the game, and when you’re in a high mood, anything can happen. I just want to try to stay calm and not be disturbed by any extra noise. For Boston, of course I can talk a lot, but I choose not to do that, I’m going to do the talking. Get out there and enjoy the game,” Irving said.
“I wouldn’t say we ever wanted to avoid them in any way, this series is going to be the best part of this story. We’re going to play Boston and have a chance to redeem ourselves. They have a healthy roster now, The same is true for us, and now let’s have a real fight on the court and see who is better.” Compared with last season, the Celtics are better now. During the regular season, they played the league’s best defense. Although Lowe was temporarily absent due to injury, the Green Army’s balanced offensive and defensive strength should never be underestimated.
If the Nets want to successfully beat the Celtics to advance, the performance of every player is crucial, including Ben Simmons, who has not played a game this season. According to previous U.S. media reports, Simmons, who had previously suffered from a lumbar spine injury, is actively recovering and aims to complete his comeback in the fourth game of the series.
“We don’t have any pre-set expectations for Ben’s comeback. I’m not going back home with the idea of ’Ben will be back during G4-G6′. I don’t even know where the news came from, other than recovering well, Thoroughly healthy, I’m not going to force him to do anything. Of course, if he’s ready, that’s great,” Irving said.
In addition to the feud with the Celtics, Irving once again talked about the decision to refuse vaccination after today’s training. “All I can say is that I stand by what I believe in and what I want from my body, which is not just a right that Americans have, it’s a right that everyone should have,” Irving said. “I can’t speak for anyone else. People talk, but time has shown that I made the best decision for myself.” This offseason, Irving will have the right to opt out of the player option and sign a new contract with the Nets. Former Nets assistant general manager and ESPN salary expert Bobby Marks was also quite helpless when talking about Irving’s contract extension.
“If the Nets don’t think about re-signing Irving, they’re thinking about signing and then trading. They should also explore trading Durant. The fact is, Irving brought Durant to the Nets, and they are inseparable. They are the Nets. The cards in my hand.” Max said: “If I were the general manager of the Nets, I would offer Irving a four-year, $190 million contract extension. I would sign him and sleep every night.” Max believes that Irving Unwilling to be traded, and Durant doesn’t want to let the team go through the turmoil of a big trade again. All the unpleasantness has become a thing of the past as New York City lifts the restrictions on vaccines. To return to full-time game form, Irving must show 100% of his strength to help the Nets pass the Celtics, which is in front of the team. (Sports Weekly)Return to Sohu, see more
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