The superstars came out to play on Tuesday night when the Brooklyn Nets hosted the Los Angeles Clippers in a high-profile matchup in the Barclays Center. Kyrie Irving and Kawhi Leonard were involved in a couple of early exchanges, with the two stars showcasing their strengths.

Leonard was all over Irving on defense, not giving the Nets superstar an inch to operate. It resulted in an outstanding defensive play from Leonard, who mercilessly swatted an Irving layup attempt (h/t ClutchPoints on Twitter):

Not long after, Irving got his revenger on Kawhi, putting the two-time Finals MVP on skates courtesy of a trademark crossover move:

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https://twitter.com/ClutchPointsApp/status/1356773841809207297

This is an epic one-on-one battle between two of the top players in the NBA today. The fact that Irving is the owner of one of the best handles in the history of the sport makes his matchup against Leonard, arguably the best perimeter defender in the league right now, truly mouth-watering.

Irving and Co. entered this matchup coming off a disappointing loss at the hands of the Washington Wizards on Sunday. The 16-5 Clippers, on the other hand, have lost just one game in their past 11 contests.

L.A., who currently sits at the top spot of the Western Conference, undeniably has the momentum but the Nets will do everything in their power to come out with a statement win against one of the top teams in the NBA today. This will be one of, if not the toughest tests the Nets' newly-formed superstar trio will face early in their inception.