Nets not giving up on playoff push with Kyrie Irving out for the season

CHARLOTTE – The first day of the rest of the Nets’ season without Kyrie Irving began with a heartbreaking 112-104 overtime loss Thursday in Philadelphia. The Nets overcame an early 16-point deficit to build a 20-point lead in the second quarter, only to trail by five in the fourth quarter and then lead by six with 2:16 left before losing in OT when they were held to a single point.

It was an excruciating loss to the team that beat them in the first round of the playoffs last season and that has beaten them in three of the four games they played this season. “It hurts,” Nets coach Kenny Atkinson said. “It motivates you, too, because that group in there fought like crazy. We’re going to be a good team. I feel good about that. I’m just frustrated our guys weren’t rewarded with the effort they made.”

The Nets made a tremendous effort. After trailing by 16 in the first quarter, they outscored the 76ers, 46-10, to take a 20-point lead in the second quarter. It was phenomenal basketball that showed what they still are capable of achieving even without Irving.

Spencer Dinwiddie now is assured of remaining the starting point guard, and yet, no one had shown a greater understanding of his role to come off the bench if Irving were healthy or his appreciation of good things to come when superstar forward Kevin Durant returns next season after rehabbing from Achilles surgery.

“I mean, it’s really tough,” Dinwiddie said of Irving’s season-ending shoulder surgery after playing only 20 games. “Obviously, missing our two big guys for our whole season isn’t where we’d like to be. All we can do is really just hope he has a speedy recovery, pray for him and what he’s going through with the injury. That’s more important than anything else.”

But no one on the Nets is running up any white flags. They are 25-29 and solidly in the seventh playoff position in the Eastern Conference before facing the Hornets Saturday night in Charlotte.

“We’ve got the talent to still be a good team, still make the playoffs and do special things,” Dinwiddie said. “It’s just all about coming together, being cohesive and pushing forward.”

The Nets now primarily are reliant on the backcourt talents of Dinwiddie, who had 22 points and eight assists in the loss to the 76ers, and Caris LeVert, who had 25 points. But the Sixers’ defense ganged up on those two at the end, got the ball out of their hands and forced them into 1-for-6 shooting and three turnovers from when the Nets led by six with 2:16 left. Other teams will adopt a similar strategy.

“Obviously, we feel for our brother,” LeVert said of Irving. "He wants to be out here for us. He definitely worked extremely hard to come back. It’s just a series of unfortunate things that happened with him. We’ve just got a ‘next-man-up’ mentality right now and try to finish the season the right way. We all know we’re trying to get to the playoffs, and that’s in our sights right now.”

By Greg Logan

Gregory.Logan@newsday.comGregLogan1

Greg Logan has worked for Newsday since 1982 covering a wide array of sports and events, currently including the Brooklyn Nets beat.