Let Boston arrive.
That’s the next stop in the resurgence of the Brooklyn Nets, who were in 10th place a short time ago but no longer look like the underdogs.
Kyrie Irving had 34 points and 12 assists, and the Brooklyn Nets clinched seventh place in the Eastern Conference by beating the Cleveland Cavaliers 115-108 on Tuesday in Game 1 of the playoff minitournament.
Kevin Durant added 25 points and 11 assists for the Nets, who took a 20-point lead in the first quarter and repeatedly fended off the Cavaliers to secure a matchup with second-seeded Boston in the series that begins Sunday. .
“I know the team very well and they know us well so it’s going to be back and forth,” acknowledged Irving, who played with the Celtics, “once they throw the ball in the air, you’re really going to see spectacular basketball.”
Irving made his first 12 shots before his 3-pointer bounced off the rim in the fourth quarter. He ended up making 12 of 15 shots.
Favorites before this season for the NBA Finals but reeling during a turbulent campaign, the Nets entered the final week of the regular season in 10th place.
Now, they are on a five-fight win streak. With Durant and Irving they have looked more threatening than a usual seventh-place finish.
And both are willing to share the ball with teammates who capitalized when they received it. Bruce Brown had 18 points, nine rebounds and eight assists, while Andre Drummond had 16 points.
Brown, who is originally from Boston, discussed how they can continue to do that once morest a Celtics that will be without a key defensive player in Robert Williams. Durant seemed exasperated when he heard it.
“It’s not going to be easy, that’s what I’m telling you,” Durant warned.
Unless they play like they did in the first period. the Nets made 71% of their shots from the field in that span — Irving and Durant had eight shots — and closed out the period with a 15-3 run that made them 40-20.
Darius Garland scored 34 points for the Cavaliers, who will have another shot at eighth place. On Friday they will receive the winner of the duel between Atlanta and Charlotte. The winner will advance to face Miami, which finished as the leader of the East.
