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Brooklyn Nets superstar Kyrie Irving offered an amusing response on being asked if officiating was 'different' this year.
Despite a solid outing from Irving, the Nets came up short on Sunday against the Minnesota Timberwolves. With their 125-136 loss to Minnesota, the Nets' two-game winning streak on the road came to an end.
At the postgame press conference, Irving was put on the spot regarding the situation with officiating. When asked whether officiating was 'different' this season, Irving provided a cheeky response, as per Matt Brooks of Basketballnews.com and Nets Daily.
"Please, I just got fined. I'm not trying to get fined again."
Irving had a run-in with the NBA for use of profanity with a fan during a game against the Cleveland Cavaliers. He was slapped a $25,000 fine for his actions that night.
Irving's response can be viewed as a lighthearted remark towards the glaring issue of foul-call disparities. The Brooklyn Nets faced a massive disadvantage in free throw shooting against the Timberwolves. While the Timberwolves attempted 31 free throws, the Nets only received 15 such attempts.
Coming off a loss in the final game of their road trip, the Nets will now look to bounce back at home, albeit without Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant. While Durant is injured, Irving cannot play home games due to his vaccination stance.
How important will Kyrie Irving be for the Brooklyn Nets this season?
Following their Timberwolves loss, the Brooklyn Nets are 29-17 on the season. The Miami Heat's win over the Lakers on Sunday means the Heat have now taken the top spot in the Eastern Conference from the Nets.
Although the Nets are only half a game behind the Heat, Brooklyn will be heading home to play their next game. While that would be advantageous in most scenarios, the Nets will have two glaring absences, which is concerning.
Kevin Durant is out for an extended period due to injury, Irving continues to be ruled out of home games for Brooklyn. Due to his vaccination stance, state laws do not permit Irving to play at home.
Although the Nets' four-game road trip resulted in an even 2-2 split, Kyrie Irving was nothing short of brilliant for his team. He produced key performances during this stretch as the superstar guard continues to be an important cog for the Nets.
With Irving out of the rotation, James Harden remains the lone superstar in the Brooklyn Nets' roster. While the rotation without Durant and Irving has seen some success in the past, Irving not being a consistent presence for the team greatly impacts the team's offensive flow and rhythm.
The 29-year old has displayed his prowess even after a long period of not playing. Although his limited availability poses some challenges, Irving's availability has been a boost for the Nets.
In their next game against the LA Lakers on Tuesday, the Nets will hope to return to winning ways without two of their superstars.
Guess the Lakers players!
