No Kevin Durant, no problem. Kyrie Irving made sure that the Brooklyn Nets were going to put up a good fight against the Boston Celtics on Thursday night with KD still sitting on the sidelines due to injury.

Irving caught fire early in the marquee matchup against his former team as he put on a show for the Nets (h/t NBA on Twitter):

Article Continues Below
Related News
Cam Johnson number 2 photoshopped in Spurs jersey.
Spurs offseason trade proposal for Cam Johnson involving lottery pickBailey Bassett ·
Cam Johnson (with his jersey number), photoshopped in Rockets jersey.
Rockets trade proposal for Cam Johnson as Nets pursue lottery pickBailey Bassett ·
image thumbnail
Nets assistant among finalists for Suns head coach positionErik Slater ·
Cam Johnson NBA trade deadline
Nets rumors: How Cam Johnson trade could result in another lottery pickJulian Ojeda ·
Philadelphia 76ers guard Quentin Grimes (5) reacts after scoring against the Chicago Bulls in the fourth quarter at Wells Fargo Center.
NBA rumors: Are Nets a threat to steal 76ers’ breakout star?Zachary Weinberger ·
2025 NBA Mock Draft 2.0 with Dylan Harper having Nets/Spurs question marks, Cooper Flagg in Duke/Mavs jersey, Ace Bailey in 76ers/Rutgers jersey
2025 NBA Mock Draft 2.0: Could Spurs actually trade Dylan Harper to Nets?Brett Siegel ·

With Durant still dealing with a hamstring problem, it was Irving (and James Harden, of course) who was tasked to carry much of the offensive load for the shorthanded Nets. Clearly, Irving was more than willing to take on the responsibility. There was a bit of extra motivation for him too on Thursday, as he faced off with his former squad. Kyrie didn't exactly have the best of stints in Boston, but he has since been loving life in Brooklyn.

It is worth noting that Blake Griffin was also sitting out in this one, with the veteran still nursing a knee injury. Nets fans will need to wait a bit longer before all four of their stars are able to take the floor at the same time. In the meantime, though, they will need to settle with Kyrie Irving (and James Harden). Life's tough in Brooklyn right now.