Erik Slater Articles - Page 41

Brooklyn Nets point-forward Ben Simmons and forward T.J. Warren will miss their third consecutive games Wednesday when the team travels to face the Boston Celtics. Simmons exited last week’s home loss versus the Detroit Pistons with left knee soreness, while Warren sustained a left shin contusion. While Brooklyn has posted back-to-back wins without the pair, […]

Look at any NBA billboard, commercial, or social media post and you’ll see players like LeBron James, Steph Curry, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Luka Doncic, and Brooklyn Nets star Kevin Durant, among others. These superstars are the engine that has turned the league into a global phenomenon. The NBA is stacked with more high-end talent than ever […]

It was nearly a home embarrassment for the Brooklyn Nets Monday night at the Barclays Center. Facing the Los Angeles Lakers without LeBron James and Anthony Davis, Brooklyn led by 19 points in the first half before an epic third-quarter collapse. Los Angeles opened the frame on a 14-0 run and would go on to […]

Kevin Durant has missed the Nets’ last nine games after suffering an MCL sprain during a Jan. 8 win at Miami. Brooklyn has posted a 3-6 record during his absence while struggling to find consistency on both ends. However, it may not be long before the former MVP is back in the lineup. Durant recently […]

Kevin Durant called out Montrezl Harrell after the 76ers center dismissed Nic Claxton’s improvement this season before Philadelphia’s matchup with the Brooklyn Nets Wednesday. “Come on Montrezl, you was talking crazy. You not like that,” Durant said on his podcast, the ETCs. “You’re an enforcer as a basketball player, but you’re not that guy. Clax […]

Over three years have passed since the New York Knicks have beaten the Brooklyn Nets. New York City’s quote-on-quote “little brother” had won eight straight dating back to January 2020 heading into the latest matchup of the crosstown rivalry. That streak is alive and well after the Nets took down the Knicks 122-115 before a […]

The Brooklyn Nets ruled out big man Ben Simmons ahead of Saturday’s home matchup with the New York Knicks. Simmons exited Brooklyn’s 130-122 loss vs. Detroit Thursday with soreness and swelling in his left knee. The 26-year-old struggled to make an impact prior to the exit, going scoreless on 0-3 shooting. The knee flare-up comes […]

The Brooklyn Nets entered the 2022-23 season headlined by a big three of Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving and Ben Simmons. Durant and Irving have been brilliant while carrying Brooklyn up the Eastern Conference standings following a dysfunctional start. The duo was the league’s only pairing to be named All-Star starters Thursday. But it has been […]

Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving were named Eastern Conference starters for the 2023 All-Star game Thursday. The star duo recently led the Nets up the East standings during a historic span in which Brooklyn posted an 18-2 record, the best 20-game stretch in franchise history. This marks Durant’s 13th All-Star selection and his 11th as […]

Ben Simmons was ruled out during the third quarter of the Nets’ matchup with the Detroit Pistons Thursday due to left knee soreness. Simmons previously missed four games earlier this season due to soreness and swelling in the same knee. The 26-year-old was unproductive prior to the exit, failing to record a point on 0-of-3 […]

The NBA trade deadline is two weeks away and the Brooklyn Nets are reportedly in search of frontcourt help. The Nets recently inquired with the Minnesota Timberwolves about big man Naz Reid, league sources told the Ringer’s Kevin O’Connor. “I’ve heard from league sources that the Nets have also inquired about Reid,” O’Connor said Tuesday. […]

The Brooklyn Nets dropped a nail-biter 137-133 in Philadelphia Wednesday night. After trailing by as many as 17 points, Brooklyn clawed their way back to tie the game with 4:00 remaining. But Philadelphia’s high-powered offense featuring Joel Embiid, James Harden and Tyrese Maxey would prove too much down the stretch. Here are three takeaways from […]

Nets guard Kyrie Irving is voicing his desire to remain in Brooklyn long-term. Irving’s agent told Bleacher Report Wednesday that the guard is seeking a contract extension. Although it is unclear whether the team shares that appetite. “I have reached out to the Nets regarding this,” his agent Shetellia Irving told Chris Haynes. “We have […]

The Nets’ 0-4 start to Kevin Durant’s extended absence drew strong comparisons to last season’s downward spiral with the superstar sidelined. The team posted a 5-16 record, including an 11-game losing streak, after Durant went down with the same injury this time last year. However, Brooklyn quickly silenced that narrative with back-to-back wins over Utah […]

For the second consecutive year, the Brooklyn Nets opened January near the top of the Eastern Conference. And for the second consecutive year, Kevin Durant’s MVP-level season, as well as Brooklyn’s climb up the standings, were halted by an MCL sprain. Durant has missed the Nets’ last six games after going down during a Jan. […]

The Brooklyn Nets fought back from a 17-point deficit to pull within two in the last minute Sunday at Golden State. The majority of that comeback came on the back of Kyrie Irving, who finished with 38 points on 12-of-22 shooting from the field and 5-of-7 from 3-point range. However, in the game’s biggest moment, […]

The Brooklyn Nets’ 0-4 start to Kevin Durant’s multi-week absence drew comparisons to the team’s implosion at this time last season. With Kyrie Irving playing on a part-time status, the Nets went on an 11-game losing streak with Durant sidelined. Brooklyn avoided another extended winless stretch minus Durant when they snapped a 4-game losing streak […]

Kevin Durant has missed the Brooklyn Nets’ last five games after suffering an MCL sprain during a Jan. 8 win at Miami. The Nets are 1-4 during that span while struggling to find offensive production without one of the league’s top scorers. Brooklyn is expected to receive an update on Durant’s return timetable Tuesday, according […]

Kevin Durant revealed what led to his offseason trade request while speaking at Nets Media Day in September. The former MVP said Brooklyn’s 11-game losing streak following his knee injury last year led to doubts in his mind about the team’s future. KD explaining his trade request at media day: Said he was unhappy with […]

Kyrie Irving attempted to shut down comparisons to last season amid a four-game Nets losing streak with Kevin Durant sidelined. “This isn’t last year, so the comparisons just gotta stop,” Irving said. Despite his insistence, Brooklyn’s lackluster play had done little to quell the narrative. The Nets dropped winnable games against Oklahoma City and San […]

It was known that the Brooklyn Nets would go as far as Kyrie Irving takes them with Kevin Durant sidelined by an MCL sprain. The Nets dropped the first three games of Durant’s absence, with Irving missing Tuesday’s loss in San Antonio. With Irving back in the lineup Thursday against the Phoenix Suns, the engines […]

The Brooklyn Nets listed Kyrie Irving as probable for their matchup with the Phoenix Suns Thursday. The guard was a late scratch ahead of the Nets’ 106-98 loss to the Spurs Tuesday due to calf soreness. The loss was Brooklyn’s third straight after Kevin Durant went down with an MCL sprain, marking the first time the […]

Following an early-season suspension that nearly ended his time in Brooklyn, Kyrie Irving returned to the Nets and has been among the NBA’s top guards. Irving has averaged 25.2 points on 49/39/89 shooting splits during that span, with Brooklyn posting the league’s second-best record (20-7). Irving’s clutch play carried Brooklyn down the stretch of several […]

The Brooklyn Nets found themselves searching for offense in their last two losses with Kevin Durant sidelined. Production on that end would prove even more elusive with Kyrie Irving out Tuesday as the Nets dropped their third-straight 106-98 to the San Antonio Spurs. Brooklyn shot 37 of 88 (42.0 percent) from the field and an […]

The already undermanned Brooklyn Nets will be without their top player Tuesday against the Spurs in San Antonio. Kyrie Irving, who was a late addition to the Nets’ injury report due to calf tightness, has been ruled out, per the team’s Twitter account. The Nets have dropped their last two games since losing Kevin Durant […]

Fresh off signing a two-year, $17 million extension with the Brooklyn Nets last offseason, Nic Claxton has put the NBA on notice as one of the league’s top defenders. The fourth-year center has transformed a Nets defense that struggled in recent years into the No. 9 unit in the league this season. Claxton is leading […]

The NBA trade deadline is less than one month away. For the Brooklyn Nets, that means one last opportunity to solidify their roster ahead of a potential title run. After a dysfunctional start to the season, Brooklyn has posted the league’s best record since hiring Jacque Vaughn as head coach and welcoming back Kyrie Irving […]

The Brooklyn Nets have lost two games since Kevin Durant went down with an MCL sprain in Miami. This marks the first time the Nets have lost back-to-back games since mid-November. For many, the slow start to Durant’s absence draws flashbacks to Brooklyn’s struggles after the former MVP’s injury last season. The Nets went 5-16, […]

Nets big man Ben Simmons was a late scratch ahead of Brooklyn’s 112-102 loss to Oklahoma City Sunday. Head coach Jacque Vaughn said Simmons experienced tightness in his back during warmups before the decision was made to hold him out. “He went through warmups and felt some tightness,” Vaughn said postgame. “He’ll be on the […]

At the midway point of the NBA season, no team has pulled off a more dramatic turnaround than the Brooklyn Nets. Just two weeks into the season, the Nets were left for dead. Fresh off a trade request from their franchise cornerstone in Kevin Durant, a 2-6 start had already seen head coach Steve Nash […]

The Brooklyn Nets were at a crossroads following a disastrous 5-9 start to the season that saw Steve Nash fired and Kyrie Irving suspended. Blow it up or keep pushing forward was the dilemma facing a Brooklyn team fresh off a trade request from Kevin Durant. The Nets chose the latter and have posted the […]

One of the lead stories around the NBA this week has been: How will the Brooklyn Nets look without Kevin Durant? The league got its first look Thursday as the Nets dropped their opening game of the Durantless stretch 109-98 to the league-leading Boston Celtics. Brooklyn didn’t play a poor game by any stretch of […]

Kyrie Irving has been among the NBA’s top guards since returning from an early-season suspension. Most importantly for a Nets team bracing for an extended period without Kevin Durant, he is playing under a full-time status, unlike this time last season. Irving has been a non-stop source of offense during a historic hot stretch for […]

Flashback to January 2022 and the Brooklyn Nets found themselves scrambling to prevent a freefall in the standings amid a Kevin Durant knee injury. A year later, Durant is down with a similar injury, but new faces decorate Brooklyn’s roster as the team looks for new means of production with their top player sidelined. Unlike last […]

After a 5-9 start to the season that saw Steve Nash fired and Kyrie Irving suspended, the Brooklyn Nets have risen from the depths of the NBA to legitimate contender status. The Nets have won 18 of their last 20 games, the best stretch in franchise history, and now hold the league’s second-best record. However, […]

The Brooklyn Nets’ dream hot stretch nearly turned into a nightmare when Jimmy Butler fell into Kevin Durant’s knee during the third quarter of Sunday’s win over the Miami Heat. Durant attempted to stay in the game but ultimately asked to exit and was later ruled out due to the injury. Brooklyn announced Monday that […]

Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving have set the league on fire during a recent hot streak with Brooklyn. The Nets have won 17 of their last 19 with Durant and Irving averaging a combined 57.5 points per game during that span. Miami Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra was asked about the Nets duo’s offensive brilliance […]

The Brooklyn Nets escaped Miami Sunday with a 102-101 last-second victory over the Heat, but it wasn’t without casualty as Kevin Durant suffered an injury that forced him out of the game. Nets forward Royce O’Neale scored on a putback off a Kyrie Irving miss before Jimmy Butler missed a layup at the buzzer to give […]

Kyrie Irving has been one of the NBA’s top guards during an extended hot streak for the Brooklyn Nets, much to head coach Jacque Vaughn’s delight. Irving’s fourth-quarter brilliance in particular has jumped off the page during Brooklyn’s resurgence. The seven-time All-Star is leading the league in fourth-quarter scoring at 8.9 points per game. Irving […]