Nets’ Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving named All-Star Game starters

Nets’ Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving named All-Star Game starters

February 18, 2021 | 8:06 pm| Updated February 18, 2021|8:06 pm

For the very first time in over a generation, the Nets are mosting likely to have 2 starters in the NBA All-Star Game: Kevin Durant and also Kyrie Irving.

Forget whether the NBA ought to also be having an All-Star Game amidst a pandemic; that’s a problem for an additional day. The occasion is set up to occur March 7 in Atlanta, and also when it ideas off there will certainly be 2 Nets in the beginning schedule for the very first time given that 1993-94. There will certainly probably be a 3rd there as a book in James Harden.

Durant– making his 11th look– was verified as the leading vote-getter for the Eastern Conference, obtaining 5,567,106 ballots, gone beyond just by Lakers celebrity LeBron James in theWest Irving– with his 7th nod– ended up second amongst Eastern guards, behind just Washington’s Bradley Beal, the organization’s leading marker. Irving ended up second in the follower and also gamer ballot, and also 4th in the media ballot.

The starters were revealed Thursday evening on TNT. It was the pregame for a doubleheader, initially the Bucks and also Raptors, complied with by the centerpiece with Nets dealing with James’ Lakers at Staples Center.

Nets
Kevin Durant and also Kyrie Irving will certainly begin the All-Star Game on March 7.
Charles Wenzelberg/New York Post

The All-Star books will certainly be revealed in an additional half-hour pregame program on Tuesday at 7 p.m., with Harden specific to be among them. Harden was 3rd in the follower, media and also follower ballot, bordered byIrving But Harden– leading the organization in aids– will undoubtedly wind up in the All-Star Game, he simply isn’t ensured of joining his Big 3 colleagues on the East.

With Durant being named captain, he made the right to prepare his group from the qualified swimming pool of gamers (starters in the preliminary, books in the 2nd). But captains aren’t needed to prepare based upon setting or perhaps seminar association.

That indicates with James holding the leading choice because of being the leading vote-getter, he might get Harden over the similarity Portland guard Damian Lillard (that shed a sudden death to Luka Doncic) or Boston wingJayson Tatum James’ fellow Lakers celebrity Anthony Davis is hurt, out for weeks after intensifying an Achilles injury and also calf bone stress.

Durant– that missed out on the Lakers game Thursday with a hamstring injury– is balancing a team-high 29.0 factors, 7.3 rebounds and also 5.3 aids.

Irving, that returned Thursday after missing out on Tuesday’s come-from-behind win in Phoenix with an aching back, got in play balancing a career-high 28.3 factors and also 5.7 aids. Harden was balancing 24.3 factors, along with a league-high 11.3 aids and also 7.3 boards.

The Nets have not had several All-Stars given that 2006-07, when high-flying Vince Carter was a book and also a damaged Jason Kidd was changed byJoe Johnson Three years previously, Kidd and also power onward Kenyon Martin were both books.

Nets followers need to go back 27 years to have 2 starters, when Derrick Coleman and also Kenny Anderson aided lead the Eastern Conference to a 127-118 sway the West at Target Center in Minneapolis.

“We had the nucleus of a great team. Me, him, Drazen [Petrovic],” Coleman stated just recently. “We led the league in rebounding, Chris Dudley, Terry Mills, Chris [Morris], so I always felt that we were on our way. I think the tragic accident that happened with Petrovic really took the wind out of our sail.”

But these Nets have their Big 3, probably as talented as any kind of triad in organization background. They will certainly all remain in Atlanta– also if Harden gets on the opposite side– and also might lead the Nets to their initial NBA Finals given that Kidd led them there in 2001-02 and also once again in 2002-03.

“The potential is the sky’s the limit with that team,” Coleman stated.