The Brooklyn Nets announced on Monday that point guard Kyrie Irving will miss the team’s next three games because of a family matter. The franchise said that Irving will sit out Brooklyn’s upcoming road games against the Portland Trail Blazers, Utah Jazz and Detroit Pistons.
The Nets are already short-handed entering their three-game road trip. Kevin Durant has been out since Feb. 13 due to a hamstring strain. Brooklyn also will be without Landry Shamet, who has emerged as a key reserve player. Shamet suffered a sprained right ankle against the Washington Wizards on Sunday and won’t travel with the team Monday.
Irving has been in and out of the Nets’ starting lineup this season, appearing in 31 of their 43 games. He missed two weeks in January for a personal absence. During that time away from the club, he broke the NBA’s COVID-19 protocols, which further delayed his return, and he was fined for disregarding the league’s coronavirus guidelines. In 31 games this season, Irving has averaged a career-best 28.1 points on 52% shooting. He also is averaging 5.7 assists and 4.8 rebounds per game.
Editorial credit: Leonard Zhukovsky / Shutterstock.com