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The Brooklyn Nets take on the Milwaukee Bucks in game five of their semifinal series on Tuesday night without talismanic point guard Kyrie Irving. The 29-year-old was ruled out of the matchup after spraining his ankle during the second quarter of game four on Sunday.
Irving had scored 20+ points and averaged five assists in the first three encounters between the two teams. But his absence comes as a huge blow to the Nets, who are at a crucial point in their mission to win their first championship ring.
The series is well-balanced at two wins apiece. Should the Milwaukee Bucks prevail on Tuesday, they would no doubt become favorites to advance with home court advantage in game six.
In their way is the Brooklyn Nets' final superstar left standing, Kevin Durant, who will do his best to carry the side's offensive load. At the time of writing, James Harden had been listed as doubtful, though could be a late addition to the starting five.
In stopping the Milwaukee Bucks, several Brooklyn Nets players besides Durant are going to have to step up to fill in for the absent Kyrie Irving, whom we will analyze in this article.
Which Brooklyn Nets players will need to make up for Kyrie Irving's absence?
Kyrie Irving's obvious replacement on the night at point guard will be Mike James. After initially signing a ten-day contract with the franchise, James impressed and was given a deal until the end of the season. During that time, he averaged 7.7 points and 4.2 assists in 18 minutes per night off the bench. However, the 30-year-old has since been thrust into the spotlight with both James Harden's and Kyrie Irving's injuries.
After barely featuring in the first-round series against the Boston Celtics, James has answered the call up and played considerable minutes against the Milwaukee Bucks. Most of which came in game one when he scored 12 points and grabbed seven rebounds in 30 minutes of play.
Even for James, though, this is a big step up and Kyrie Irving's shoes are not ones that are easy to fill. Kevin Durant, though, will be required to step up on the offensive end as the side's primary creator should James Harden also miss out.
While Mike James will have to step up to replace Kyrie Irving's creativity, Joe Harris will have to replace his scoring. Losing a 20+ point-a-night star is difficult for any side. But for the Nets, besides their big three, Harris is the only other consistent, high-volume shooter.
Although he has maintained his three-point shooting accuracy and has taken the same number of field-goal efforts, Harris' points per night have fallen by two compared to his regular season output. While his role is limited mostly to being a prolific wing shooter, Harris will have to take on more responsibility in game five if the Brooklyn Nets are to progress.
The 29-year-old led the league in three-point accuracy during the season at 47.5% and is currently shooting at 45% in the playoffs. If he can maintain his consistency while taking more efforts, the Brooklyn Nets may be able to compete with the greater array of attacking options the Milwaukee Bucks have.
Guess the Lakers players!
