Kyrie Irving Scores 20 Points to Help Nets Defeat Derrick Rose, Pistons

The Brooklyn Nets picked up their second win against the Detroit Pistons in five days with a 125-115 victory at Barclays Center on Wednesday. Kyrie Irving returned to the court after missing Sunday's loss against the Knicks following the death of Kobe Bryant. 

Brooklyn's victory at Detroit last Saturday snapped a five-game losing streak, providing a much-needed reprieve for the Nets, who haven't been able to win consistently all year. That was likely always going to be the case with Kevin Durant expected to miss the entire season while recovering from an Achilles injury, yet since climbing to three games above .500 in December, the team has fallen to seven games below that mark. 

Despite that, the Nets entered the night hanging on to the eighth seed in the Eastern Conference with the Pistons just 3.5 games behind them. 

Notable Performers:

Kyrie Irving, G, Nets: 20 points, five assists, five rebounds

Spencer Dinwiddie, G, Nets: 28 points, six assists, three rebounds

Taurean Prince, PF, Nets: 22 points, seven rebounds, four steals

Derrick Rose, G, Pistons: 22 points, six rebounds, five assists

Andre Drummond, C, Pistons: 12 points, 13 rebounds, four assists 

Kyrie-Dinwiddie Connection Begins Clicking

Since Irving joined the Nets this offseason, one of the largest question marks surrounding Brooklyn is how the point guard would mesh with a rising star in Spencer Dinwiddie. It's been a grind, but Wednesday night showed a flash of what the duo could accomplish while sharing the Nets backcourt. 

Irving and Dinwiddie combined for 48 points, 11 assists and eight rebounds on 15-of-29 shooting from the field, each torching the Pistons in his own way and backing off when the other started heating up. Though Dinwiddie played off the bench Wednesday, he still logged a starter's share of minutes (29). 

"It's big-time," Irving said of Dinwiddie's contributions in an on-court postgame interview on the ESPN broadcast. "When you're a basketball player and you're able to make the right plays and play at a high intensity level and make an impact on the game, it doesn't matter if you're starting or coming off the bench."

That selflessness is exactly the type of mentality the Nets are hoping to see more of from their two most important ball-handlers. But Irving knows it's not time to start celebrating just yet. 

"We're still finding what our team identity looks like," he said. 

As long as Brooklyn is able to keep producing wins, it'll deal with finding an identity on the fly. 

Pistons Trade Pieces Show Off 

Derrick Rose doesn't need to prove his credentials anymore. He's still doing so anyway.

Even when the game started to get away from Detroit, Rose found ways to embarrass Brooklyn's defense and, in more controlled spurts, flash the speed that once made him so unguardable with the Chicago Bulls.

Rose has reinvented himself as a mentor in Detroit even though plenty of contenders might look to add him at the trade deadline as a veteran capable of logging major minutes. He played 31 on Wednesday while giving up just two turnovers.

Drummond added another ho-hum 12 points and 13 rebounds on the night despite a horrendous shooting performance (5-of-16). Markieff Morris may also catch some second looks with a 15-point, four-assist and three-rebound night (7-of-9 shooting). 

Most encouraging of all is just how much Detroit's bench was able to contribute. The Pistons picked up 69 points from their reserves, and guard Reggie Jackson led the way with 23. 

If the Pistons do decide to sell off multiple pieces at the Feb. 6 trade deadline, they'll want to see what the bench players can do. So far, the results are encouraging as the team continues its rebuild. 

What's Next

Brooklyn continues a seven-game stretch against teams under .500 as the Chicago Bulls come to town Friday. This is a stretch the Nets must take advantage of as their hold on the eighth seed in the East is tenuous at best. 

The road for Detroit is much tougher. The Pistons will face Toronto at home Friday before a Sunday matchup with Denver. The Pistons have little margin for error as they try to force themselves into the playoff race and will need to be at their best in the next few weeks to have a shot.