With LeBron James, Anthony Davis, Kevin Durant and Ben Simmons all sitting out Monday’s marquee matchup between the Nets and Lakers, Kyrie Irving and Patrick Beverley — two masters of their respective crafts — stole the present at Barclays Center.
Irving scored a game-high 26 factors within the Nets’ victory, however solely two of his seven made photographs got here with Beverley as his major defender.
Irving shot two-of-eight from the sphere when defended by Beverley versus five-of-eight towards some other Lakers defender.
Almost in every single place Brooklyn’s famous person guard went, Beverley adopted.
Irving wouldn’t have had it some other means.
“Some other guys would probably use that word [irritating], but for me, [when it comes to] Patrick, I enjoy the competitive spirit that he brings out of me and he brings out of other people,” Irving mentioned after the sport. “If you can get by him, if you can score on him, then I feel like you can score on the majority of people in the league. That’s the respect I have for him.”
Beverley relished the problem, as properly.
“Obviously wise words from a wise man,” Beverley mentioned to the Daily News of Irving’s feedback. “[He’s] the ultimate competitor. Master of his craft. The master at that position to ever play. It wasn’t easy tonight, but it’s always been like that. I make sure I get my rest the night before I play Kyrie for sure.”
One of the perfect sequences of the evening left Durant laughing from the sidelines, reenacting a number of the strikes Irving tried to placed on his defender.
The crowd bubbled with anticipation as Irving labored via the motions. With Beverley draped throughout him within the excessive publish, Irving used a collection of jab steps and shoulder fakes to create separation earlier than driving baseline to attract a swipe-down foul on Beverley.
Beverley, who had already picked up a technical foul for arguing a name within the first quarter, confirmed his frustration with a facial features.
Then Irving missed the primary free throw, and Beverley let him know he didn’t assume there was a foul. The two shared a smile earlier than Irving made the second foul shot.
“He doesn’t get rattled. He’s not one of those guys who you can try to bark at him and he’s fazed by that. He’s a real, real live basketball player. So all the gimmicks and that s—t, that s—t don’t work against him,” Beverley advised The News. “I like to think about myself a grasp defensively — however you speak about a grasp offensively. A man who might actually do something with the ball, who places a lot stress in your protection each evening, when he has it [going].
“You’ve gotta be ready for anything. I’m hurting right now. Body hurts. Extra treatment, extra all that because [of the] energy I spent on Kyrie Irving today.”
Shots Irving usually makes rimmed out.
The step-back mid-range jumper clanked off proper iron. The walk-up deep three nearly bought blocked.
Irving used a transfer you anticipate to see in a online game: a stutter-step hesitation, between-the-legs crossover right into a driving hop step to assault Beverley in transition.
It didn’t work. The fading close-range two rolled out.
Irving’s solely two baskets with Beverley as his major defender have been a transition three after the Lakers guard turned his again, and an isolation driving left-handed floater that elevated Brooklyn’s result in 13 with three minutes left within the fourth.
“You just can’t be scared of him. You’ve gotta understand he’s gonna make some tough shots. He gon’ take some tough s—t [and] he’s gon’ make it. You know what I’m saying?” Beverley mentioned. “You gotta be ready. You gotta defend him, you’ve gotta be aggressive, you’ve gotta go at him because he’s gonna keep coming at you.”
In his profession, Irving shoots almost three share factors worse towards groups Beverley performs for than he does towards some other workforce. He is taking pictures 44.6% towards Beverley’s groups and 47.2% towards the sphere.
Beverley has by no means outscored Irving in any of their matchups. Irving is averaging simply over 25 factors per sport, above his profession common, within the 9 instances he’s seen Beverley in his profession — however Beverley’s groups are 6-3 all-time towards Irving’s over time.
“I love Kai because every time I bump into Kai, we always keep this personal chart we have from when we always matchup,” Beverley mentioned. “Obviously he’s in the East and I’m in the West, so we don’t really see each other a lot, but when we do it’s always like, ‘OK Pat I won tonight. OK Pat, good one.’ So it’s always a good vibe with him.”
Irving’s response to Beverley’s trash discuss was to maintain reminding him that Monday evening was about securing a win. The Nets blew a 19-point lead however rallied again from down seven to win by 17.
Beverley nonetheless holds the head-to-head report by three wins. The former First Team All-Defense choice made a reputation and a dwelling for himself as one of many league’s most irritating defenders.
It makes for the most effective battles in all of basketball when he and Irving line up throughout from each other.
“When we’re out there, it’s gonna be back and forth. It’s gonna look like he’s doing a lot, but from where we’re from, and growing up in the trenches, and playing against guys like that, it’s nothing new,” Irving mentioned. “I welcome the problem, however I simply saved telling him that the target of the sport is to win. So me going backwards and forwards with [him] proper now and making an attempt to attain over [him] each single time just isn’t actually the place my vitality is. ‘I’m simply tryna win the sport, Pat.’
“And a few times I missed shots and he’s like ‘That’s off! I told you you was gonna miss!’ I’m just looking at him like, ‘The objective is to win, Patrick. I’m not really gonna get into this,’ but it makes the game a lot more fun.”
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Source: www.bostonherald.com