Soon after a recent announcement of his observation of Ramadan and conversion to Islam, Irving connected the many dots of injustice at home and abroad and became the most prominent American athlete to give voice to the plight of the Palestinian people.
After dropping the first two games, the Milwaukee Bucks evened the series 2-2 with a physical 107-96 win over the depleted Brooklyn Nets on Sunday. The Nets' Kyrie Irving will undergo further tests Monday after initial X-rays on his right ankle came back negative, coach Steve Nash said after the game.
Irving left the arena on crutches with a walking boot on his right foot, a source told The Athletic.
The guard was ruled out at halftime after spraining his right ankle in the second quarter of the Eastern Conference semifinals. Irving was hurt after landing on the foot of Antetokounmpo after jumping for a layup. He turned his ankle and stayed down as play went to the other end; soon after, he limped back to the locker room.
Forward Giannis Antetokounmpo powered the Bucks' offense, with 34 points and 12 rebounds, while Khris Middleton (19 points) and Jrue Holiday (14) had eight and nine assists, respectively.
Irving had 11 points on 5-of-11 shooting and five rebounds before leaving. Forward Kevin Durant led the Nets with 28 points, 13 rebounds and five assists.
The Nets starters were substituted out of the game with 4:28 left in the game as they trailed by 15 points. The Bucks starters were pulled shortly afterward.
Shortly after the conclusion of the game, Fiserv Forum was evacuated as the arena's fire alarm went off. A mechanical issue in the administrative offices of the arena triggered the alarm, but there was no fire, the Bucks and Fiserv Forum said in a statement. Media members were eventually permitted to re-enter the arena.
Brooklyn has battled absences throughout the season. Irving missed time in January for personal reasons and then had to leave a May game against the Bulls after taking an elbow to the face. Fellow big three members Durant and James Harden missed time due to hamstring strains, and Durant also missed games with a thigh injury.
The Nets are still without Harden, who injured his hamstring in the first minute of Game 1 and hasn't played since. Forward Jeff Green returned to the lineup Sunday for the first time since injuring his foot May 25 against the Celtics, posting eight points and five rebounds in 27 minutes.
After the loss, Nash said he won’t rush Harden back if Irving is not able to play in Game 5 or if Harden pushes to play, adding that the injuries are "independent" of each other.
Entering Sunday, Irving was averaging 24.1 points, 5.9 rebounds and 3.6 assists per game in the playoffs.
Game 5 is Tuesday back in Brooklyn, with Game 6 set for Thursday in Milwaukee. Game 7, if necessary, will be Saturday in Brooklyn.
Analyzing Irving's injury
Virginia Zakas, Inside Injuries: X-rays were negative, but the MRI will be more important as it will show if there is any ligament damage. Irving was limping pretty significantly as he headed to the locker room and appeared to be in pain when the medical staff was touching the ankle.
I expect Kyrie to miss multiple games. If it’s a mild sprain he could be back in the next week (at less than 100 percent), but a more significant sprain would need 5-8 weeks to heal.
How the Nets adapted without Kyrie
Alex Schiffer, Nets beat writer: With Irving and Harden out, the Nets had Mike James run their offense with Durant getting the majority of the touches. Nash said the Nets offense is much more predictable, which made it easier for the Bucks defense to get set.
Durant had P.J. Tucker on him and Giannis waiting for him if he got past Tucker. Joe Harris struggled for the second straight game and the Nets elected to try and play at a higher tempo to try and erase the deficit, which sent Blake Griffin to the bench.
Milwaukee kept the Nets around, but Brooklyn was never able to make it a game after Irving departed.
How the Bucks' approach changes if Irving misses time
Eric Nehm, Bucks beat writer: While James has been good throughout the series for the Nets, there is no replacing Irving. Once Irving went off the floor, the Bucks were able to send even more help in Durant's direction without any fear that the other Nets could really hurt them on the offensive end.
Durant, who made just nine of his 25 shots on Sunday, saw a wall of Bucks defenders every time he touched the ball and the Bucks were able to make him uncomfortable. If Irving cannot get back on the floor for Game 5, Durant should expect much of the same from the Bucks' defense.
How important is Kyrie to the Nets' title hopes?
Schiffer: Irving was Brooklyn's most reliable star in the regular season, as his 54 games played were most than both Harden and Durant, who both missed significant time due to hamstring strains. Harden left Game 1 of the Bucks series early due to a reaggravation of his hamstring. Nash said Harden is progressing but has yet to offer a timeline for his return.
The Nets could still beat the Bucks with Harden and Durant healthy, but Irving's ankle sprain means Durant is Brooklyn's lone healthy star.