KD And Kyrie Outscored The Warriors By Themselves In The First Quarter Of The Nets Opener

The Brooklyn Nets and the Golden State Warriors took center stage in the first matchup of the 2020-21 NBA regular season on Tuesday evening. While there was significant anticipation on both sides, it was the Nets that exploded out of the gate, rewarding believers in their upside with a dynamic and explosive performance that showcased their arsenal in the first quarter.

The Warriors actually scored first but, in fitting fashion for a team built around two superstars, Brooklyn opened with jumpers from Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant.

Durant’s matchup against a former team was one of the top selling points of this particular contest and, in short order, the former MVP picked up where he left off in the preseason and looked like his old self after a year off.

The Nets used an early 13-3 run to take a 23-9 lead and, a few minutes later, back-to-back three-pointers from Caris LeVert and Irving gave Brooklyn a 36-17 advantage.

To be fair to the Warriors, there was one (very) impressive highlight for Golden State, as Kelly Oubre Jr. threw down a memorable dunk.

When the dust settled after 12 minutes, Irving (17 points) and Durant (10 points) actually outscored the entire Warriors roster (25 points), with the Nets leading by 15 points. Brooklyn shot 58 percent from the floor, converted 7-of-12 from three-point distance (including two long-range connections from Joe Harris), and held the Warriors to just 9-of-27 shooting in the opening period.

Obviously, the Nets won’t continue this blistering pace all the way through this matchup, much less the season, but Brooklyn certainly made quite a first impression on Tuesday. If nothing else, all signs point to the Nets being one of the most explosive offensive teams in the NBA and, with the star power and supporting cast they bring to the table, the team’s upside is quite lofty.