Kyrie Irving Hater Flips Script, Defends Nets Star After Celtics Fans Heckle Him

The Brooklyn Nets lost in heartbreaking fashion against the Boston Celtics after Jayson Tatum hit a game-winning layup as time expired.

Kyrie Irving finished with 38 points, but it was all for nothing as the Nets came away with a loss. Throughout the game, Irving was heckled by fans throughout due to his messy ending with the team.

There were several incidents that showed Irving getting into it with fans throughout the game, and he even flipped them a middle finger a few times.

Irving will more than likely be fined by the NBA for that, but he defended his actions in a postgame interview by saying he’ll keep the “same energy” for fans who heckle him.

“Look, where I’m from, I’m used to all these antics and people being close nearby. It’s nothing new when I come into this building what it’s going to be like — but it’s the same energy they have for me, I’m going to have the same energy for them,” he said.

An unlikely ally in Skip Bayless has arisen and he says he has no problem with the way Irving conducted himself with the fans.

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Bayless Defends Irving

Throughout his career, Bayless has ruffled his share of feathers, and he’s hardly considered a friend among any active NBA player.

While he makes a lot of his headline ripping LeBron James, other players are often in his firing path. Kyrie Irving was frequently criticized throughout the season by Bayless and other members of the media, but that wasn’t the case here.

Speaking on the April 18 episode of FS1’s Undisputed, Bayless defended Irving.

“This is Kyrie flipping the script on the fans and saying ‘I’m going to have the same energy,’ he said. “These players are sick and tired of the verbal abuse they just have to live with. I don’t have a problem with this.”

Ever since Irving left the Celtics and joined the Nets, the two sides have been going back and forth. The line may have been crossed when Irving stomped on the mascot at center court nearly a year ago in Boston.

The Celtics fan don’t seem like they are going to let this go, and it might follow Irving all the way until his retirement. For what it’s worth, it doesn’t seem like the constant heckling appears to be affecting Irving’s on-court play as he still put in a masterful performance despite the loss.

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Nets Have a Battle

The Nets were already in the midst of an uphill battle against the 2-seed Boston Celtics, and losing a winnable game on the road doesn’t help matters there.

There’s still a long series ahead and you can’t count out any team that has both Irving and Kevin Durant on it. There’s a sense that Ben Simmons could even debut during the series, but there’s nothing concrete on that front as of yet.

A season that ends in a first-round exit would be a major disappointment for the Nets, but considering how this season went, it would just be a fitting cap to a tumultuous year.

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