Kyrie Irving, Nets Lose to Wizards in 1st Game After James Harden Deadline Trade
Just hours after a busy trade deadline, the Washington Wizards defeated the James Harden-less Brooklyn Nets 113-112 on Thursday at Capital One Arena to improve to 25-29 on the season.
The Wizards traded Spencer Dinwiddie and Davis Bertans to the Dallas Mavericks in exchange for Kristaps Porzingis and a second-round pick, according to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski and Tim MacMahon.
Washington also traded Montrezl Harrell to the Charlotte Hornets for Vernon Carey and Ish Smith, per Wojnarowski. So they were without several starters given those moves.
The Wizards were also without All-Star guard Bradley Beal, who is expected to miss the remainder of the season after undergoing season-ending surgery on his left wrist, according to Wojnarowski.
The Nets were also short-handed Thursday following their deal sending Harden to the Philadelphia 76ers in exchange for Ben Simmons, Seth Curry, Andre Drummond and two first-round picks, according to Wojnarowski. Kevin Durant is still recovering from a sprained MCL, so Brooklyn fans will have to wait to see him, Kyrie Irving and Simmons in action together.
Notable Stats
Kyle Kuzma, SF, WAS: 15 PTS, 13 REB, 10 AST
Kyrie Irving, PG, BKN: 31 PTS, 5 REB, 6 AST, 1 BLK
Raul Neto, PG, WAS: 21 PTS, 1 REB, 6 AST
Cam Thomas, SG, BKN: 27 PTS, 4 REB, 2 STL
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, SG, WAS: 13 PTS, 5 REB, 2 AST, 2 STL
Blake Griffin, PF, BKN: 15 PTS, 9 REB, 3 AST, 1 STL
Wizards Get Full Team Effort
It was a weird night for the Wizards following the trade deadline. They were without Dinwiddie, Bertans and Harrell, whom they traded, and also without Beal, who recently underwent wrist surgery.
However, they received a full team effort to edge the Nets in what was one of their more impressive wins of late. Kyle Kuzma and Raul Neto led the way in the starting lineup, combining for 36 points. Kuzma also recorded his first career triple-double.
Meanwhile, Rui Hachimura, Deni Avdija and Anthony Gill led the way off the bench, combining for a whopping 40 points to help put the Wizards over the top.
If this is how the Wizards are going to perform following the trade deadline, it's undoubtedly a good sign moving forward, especially considering the fact that they'll be adding Porzingis, Carey and Smith into the rotation very soon. Porzingis should immediately step into a starting role following the departure of Harrell.
The Wizards should feel really good about their depth off the bench. Not many teams can rely on their bench to get the job done, but for the Wizards, it's very clear they have plenty of bench players ready to step into a starting role if needed.
Nets Unable to Support Kyrie Irving
Although Irving, Harden and Durant played just 16 games together during their tenure in Brooklyn, it was often clear the latter two players carried the weight as Irving is only able to play road games because he refuses to compy with New York's City's vaccination mandate for indoor arenas.
On Thursday, the tables were turned, with Irving having to carry the weight as Durant was sidelined with an MCL sprain.
While Irving put up 31 points, it wasn't enough to beat the short-handed Wizards. However, it's hard to blame the loss on Irving as the Nets failed to get much production out of anyone else besides Cam Thomas.
Blake Griffin finished with 15 points and James Johnson finished with 13 points, but Kessler Edwards, who started for Brooklyn, didn't contribute anything on the scoresheet.
It should be noted the Nets should be able to rebound moving forward, especially with the additions of Simmons and Curry. While Simmons hasn't played at all this season, Curry is in the midst of one of his best years in the NBA.
The veteran guard is averaging a career-best 15.0 points, in addition to 3.4 rebounds and 4.0 assists while shooting 48.5 percent from the floor and 40.0 percent from deep.
If Simmons and Curry can mesh well with Irving and Durant, the Nets could become an elite team.
What's Next?
In their second game after the trade deadline, the Nets will travel to face the Miami Heat on Saturday, while the Wizards will host the Sacramento Kings.
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