There was drama courtside at Barclays Center on Sunday afternoon as Kyrie Irving — ineligible to play because of New York City’s COVID-19 vaccination rules — made a grand entrance in the second quarter and then watched his teammates face the Knicks from a seat across from the Nets' bench.
There was more drama on the court as the desperate Knicks stayed close to the undermanned Nets until the last second.
But in the end the Knicks couldn’t contain one-man band Kevin Durant, who scored a season-high 53 points in the Nets’ 110-107 victory.