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New York City Mayor Eric Adams on Thursday announced that NYC-based performers and athletes will be exempt from the city's vaccination mandate. A direct result of that decision is Kyrie Irving's return to the Barclays Center (and Madison Square Garden).
Irving, having made his stance on vaccination clear, could play only on the road, except in Toronto or at Madison Square Garden. Of the 20 games Kyrie has started, the Nets are 8-12. They are currently eighth in the Eastern Conference with an overall record of 38-35.
With both Kevin Durant and Irving, the Brooklyn Nets are a force to be reckoned with and have substantially legitimized their championship contention.
Since Durant's return to the lineup on Mar. 3, Irving has averaged a staggering 38.8 points per game, with KD himself averaging 31.2 ppg. Both have put up 50-point outputs in recent games, with Kyrie also scoring a career-high 60 points against the Orlando Magic.
Rob Parker, on "The Odd Couple," talked about how the Nets have become the favorites in the Eastern Conference:
"I’m gonna go with the talent. And I’m gonna go with the two best players in the Eastern Conference together. ... Those two guys, come hell or high water, are Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving. … Two great players can win!"
Parker compared the duo to LeBron James and Anthony Davis in 2020:
"We’ve seen two great players win. Not too long ago, LeBron and AD won. You don’t need three; you need two. Three is like having an extra cheese on your pepperoni pizza with cheese already"
Irving makes his season debut at the Barclays Center on Sunday against the ninth-place Charlotte Hornets (37-36). Brooklyn holds a one-game lead over Charlotte.
How the East fares after Kyrie Irving's return
As Kyrie Irving becomes available for home games, the Eastern Conference becomes even more precarious, with only 1.5 games separating the top four teams. The Brooklyn Nets are currently eighth, three games behind the sixth-place Cleveland Cavaliers and Toronto Raptors, who are 41-32 each. They are two games ahead of the 10th-place Hawks.
The Nets, Cavs and Raptors have only nine games remaining. With Durant and Irving healthy and ready to play, the Nets have a very real chance of making the playoffs without first going through the play-in tournament. Irving would have been available for only two games had the mandate not been changed.
Apart from Milwaukee (46-27) on March 31 and Miami (47-26) on Saturday, the Nets won't meet a top-four team from either conference down the stretch. Five opponents have losing records. Six games are at home. Assuming Irving and Durant play all nine games together, a win in each is a bet many would be willing to take.
With Steve Nash hopeful on Ben Simmons' return before the end of the season, the Nets have suddenly become a massive threat in the Eastern Conference.
Guess the Lakers players!
