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 to an MCL sprain in Miami. This marks the first time Brooklyn has lost back-to-back games since mid-November. Irving struggled in his first two performances without his co-star, shooting 16-of-44 (36.4 percent) from the field and 4-of-18 from 3-point land (22.2 percent).
The fourth-year Net scored 15 points, his second-lowest scoring total of the season, on 9-of-24 shooting in Brooklyn's 112-102 loss to Oklahoma City Sunday. Despite the struggles, Irving said his approach will remain consistent as he looks to lead the Nets through the shorthanded period.
“I’m doing the best job I can, I wish I would make a few more shots and be efficient,” Kyrie Irving said. “I know that’ll come and I’ll continue to prepare the best way I know how and just continue to be a better example for the guys in the locker room.”
Prior to the last two performances, Irving was averaging 26.0 points on 50/37/91 shooting splits this season. The seven-time All-Star has been among the top guards in the NBA since returning from an eight-game suspension in early November.
Brooklyn will get Ben Simmons back against the Spurs. The big man was a late scratch Sunday after experiencing back soreness in warmups. Simmons, Seth Curry and T.J. Warren will be tasked with generating offense for a unit already struggling without Durant- and now Kyrie Irving.
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