DALLAS — Friday marked the Nets’ first game against Kyrie Irving since he forced a trade out of Brooklyn and ended the Nets’ championship window.
They held Irving in check.
But it was superstar Luka Doncic that handed them a bitter defeat, 125-120 before a sellout crowd of 20,238 at American Airlines Center.
Doncic poured in a game-high 49 points, including 14 in the pivotal fourth quarter to turn a Net victory into a loss.
The Nets led, 118-113, with 2:10 to play, but Doncic powered a 10-2 run to erase the five-point cushion and hand them a defeat.
The result will sting for the Nets (0-2), many of whom admitted there was added emotion playing Irving.
It was the All-Star guard’s Feb. 3 trade demand — and exit two days later — that prompted former MVP Kevin Durant, the last star standing, to ask out of Brooklyn.
Brooklyn held Irving largely in check, with 17 points on 6-of-17 shooting.
But they had no answer for Doncic.
“Obviously, it’s just about making it tough on them. They’re two of the best scorers, I guess really of all-time, so they’re going to be able to get to their spots and make shots,” Spencer Dinwiddie had said. “It’s all about making it difficult and hoping they’re inefficient, because they’re efficient, they’re also getting other guys involved, and it’s a hell of a night for us.”
Dinwiddie has 23, while Cam Thomas led the Nets with 30 in a rare start.
But it wasn’t enough.
“I just think there was a lot of chaos and noise as usual from the media,” Irving said. “But for me, it was the best decision of my career to ask for a trade. I knew I needed peace of mind. It was rough all the way around.
“I had a media interview and I said there was some disrespectful things going on behind the scenes – and that happens in every organization as an employee, so it’s not out of the ordinary to come out and communicate that — but again, when it’s me, it’s a firestarter. Everyone loves to use my name to build up whatever credibility they need.”
Irving got the last laugh Friday.
Brooklyn was still in a 48-44 hole after former Net Seth Curry found Grant Williams for a 3-pointer with 3:36 left in the half.
But an 11-2 run over the next two minutes put them in the driver’s seat, with Dinwiddie behind the wheel.
The veteran guard hit 3-pointers on three consecutive trips down the floor, the last off a Simmons offensive rebound and feed to put Brooklyn up 55-50 with 1:44 in the half.
Brooklyn still led 89-88 going into the fourth after Cam Thomas’ ill-advised foul with :00.2 left in the third handed Tim Hardaway Jr. three free throws.
But the young guard didn’t let the gaffe dissuade him, and he scored Brooklyn’s first seven points in the final period, a nine-foot floater giving them a 96-90 cushion with 10:29 remaining.
It was still 106-99 after Dinwiddie’s pullup before Brooklyn coughed up nine unanswered.
Dwight Powell’s right corner 3-pointer put Dallas ahead 108-106.
Bridges found Royce O’Neale for a 3-pointer that put the Nets back up.
And a Finney-Smith left-corner 3 off a mad scramble made it 112-108 with 3:30 to play.
But Doncic took over late, his corner 3 putting Dallas ahead 119-118.
Then he banked in a 25-footer to make it 123-120 with 27 seconds in regulation.
Jacque Vaughn refused to play the hypothetical ‘what if’ game, saying it’s time to move on.
“I think it’s next (up) and start for us to think about this team here. So definitely appreciate my connection with (Irving). But I’m planning on coaching this team right now, yeah,” said Jacque Vaughn.
“One of the reasons that I’m here coaching is because of them and their ability to allow me to coach them, to communicate with them, to connect with them, allowed us to win 18 out of 20 games at one time. So I’ll never diminish the connection that we have. But we’re ready to move on and everyone else is ready to move on. I don’t want to do a disservice to the team that I’m coaching right now.”
The Nets team Vaughn is coaching is star-less.
That cost them in blowing a late six-point lead against Cleveland in the opener.
And up five with 2 ½ minutes in Dallas, once again they couldn’t hold on.