WATCH: Kyrie Irving Terrorizes Lakers Defense With Excellent Handles and Hustle

The Brooklyn Nets are up against the Los Angeles Lakers tonight. Despite not having Kevin Durant, James Harden and Kyrie Irving are doing a great job of leading the team.

As the second quarter was nearing its end, Irving reminded the Lakers about his offensive prowess. With his silky handles, he crossed Talen Horton-Tucker, before taking the open mid-range shot. Although he missed, he didn’t give up and got the putback through an excellent hustle play. There were two defenders in front of him, but Irving was determined to make the most out of that play.

That bucket helped the Nets extend their lead by 19 points. They have had a strong start to the game, and by the end of the half, they had an 11-point lead. Irving had nine points and kept testing the Lakers defense, who provided little resistance.

Can Kyrie Irving get a win over former teammate LeBron James?

Prior to the game, ESPN posted a stat on Twitter that showed how LeBron James has bossed over Irving in their 12 meetings. Irving has won just twice and has been outscored by LeBron in every game. There is a chance he gets outscored once again, but he looks set to get his third win over LeBron.

This could be his first win over LeBron since Kyrie’s Celtics beat LeBron’s Lakers back in March 2019. It is likely to be a comfortable win for the Nets, since the loss of both Anthony Davis and Dennis Schroder has weakened the Lakers.

Irving and LeBron were close when they were on the Cavs and also won a title together. But after being denied superstar treatment like LeBron’s, Irving became unhappy, and eventually requested to leave.

Kyrie was traded to the Celtics, where he just spent two seasons, before leaving for the Nets. He formed a duo with KD at the Nets, and now the arrival of Harden has made them the favorites to win the title. At their best, the Nets’ offensive juggernaut cannot be stopped. They have a suspect defense, but their offense has the ability to outscore anyone.

If they get tonight’s win, it will be their 19th of the season, and their fifth in a row. It will help the Nets to continue to mount pressure on the 76ers, who currently hold the #1 seed.

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