Apr 25, 2022; Brooklyn, New York, USA; Brooklyn Nets guard Kyrie Irving (11) and forward Kevin Durant (7) drop back on defense during the second quarter of game four of the first round of the 2022 NBA playoffs against the Boston Celtics at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports
The Brooklyn Nets became the only team to get swept in the first round of the NBA Playoffs and Twitter showed no mercy on Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving.
It was a do-or-die type of moment for the Brooklyn Nets at Barclays Center on Monday night. Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving and their teammates — save for the infamously still-sidelined Ben Simmons — were facing elimination against the Boston Celtics in the first round of the 2022 NBA Playoffs. They needed a win to just stay alive.
Despite a phenomenal performance from Durant, though, it wasn’t meant to be. The Celtics secured a 116-112 victory that was sealed by a missed free throw from KD late in the fourth quarter and ended up getting swept.
Miraculously, a team with two of the biggest names in the league went down in a series sweep as the only team in the first round of the playoffs that was unable to muster a win.
Nets swept by Celtics: NBA Twitter flames Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving
The good people of NBA Twitter made sure to show Durant, Irving and the Nets absolutely no mercy after dropping the series without a win to their credit.
It’s truly remarkable that this Nets team went out in this manner.
Sure, the dysfunction was there all season with Irving’s bout with his vaccination status and being unable to play home games for much of the year alongside the apparent bad fit between Durant and James Harden (and Kyrie when he was able to play). Throw in the injuries as well and things were always rocky.
Still, the talent on the Brooklyn roster is immense, so to see a Celtics team not just get past them but punk them on this type of postseason stage is certainly something that Twitter has every right to roast the Nets for.