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Kevin Durant hopes to use the Brooklyn Nets’ upcoming road games with the Portland Trail Blazers and the Chicago Bulls as a chance to “build chemistry” with Kyrie Irving.
Irving was left off the Nets’ initial roster for the 2021-22 season due to electing against receiving a COVID-19 vaccine.
Seven-time NBA All-Star Irving is not eligible to play in home games due to New York City’s vaccine mandate, but he would have been available for most road games.
The Nets reversed course last month by including the 29-year-old as a part-time player and named him in their line-up for Wednesday’s win over the Indiana Pacers.
Still unable to play in home games, Irving will have a chance to get minutes under his belt when the Nets head to Portland and Chicago on Monday and Wednesday respectively.
And Durant, who scored 28 points in Sunday’s 121-119 win against the San Antonio Spurs, is glad to have the chance to reignite his partnership with Irving.
“We’re definitely a better team, a way better team with Irving,” Durant said. “He’s definitely going to give us a lift.
“I’m looking forward to it – a couple games on the road, an opportunity for us to build our chemistry. I’m looking forward to it.”
Nets coach Steve Nash has previously said he is reluctant to overuse Irving on his return to the side, but the point guard is set to feature against Portland.
“We’ll see,” Nash said when asked about Irving’s availability. “Typically, with a game under his belt he could play a little more [Monday], so that’s definitely possible.”
Irving played 32 minutes against the Pacers and scored 22 points – he averaged 26.9 from across 54 games in 2020-21.
The Nets’ overtime win against San Antonio, having blown the lead late in regulation, was their first at Barclays Center in six games since December 16 and moved them to 25-13 for the season.
The Eastern Conference’s second-placed side are playing catch-up owing to a run of rescheduled games, meaning a long flight from Portland to Chicago and back to New York again before Thursday.
Asked about the uniqueness of the situation, Nash said: “I can’t remember all the back-to-backs I ever played in but I don’t remember any six-hour flights in between.
“So it’s different, but we’ve got to take it as an opportunity, an opportunity to succeed under adversity and this moment where we’re trying to find ourselves again.
“We have a tough back-to-back, so let’s embrace it. Let’s see if we can win both, and if we can win both, or at least play well in both, maybe that gives us a spark.”
