Kyrie Irving reacts to water bottle being thrown at him at TD Garden

BOSTON —Kyrie Irving led the Brooklyn Nets to a dominant 141-126 Game 4 win in front of jam-packed TD Garden that sent plenty of jeers, chants and boos his way during the game action.

However, the antics of one fan crossed the line as Irving headed to the Nets locker room after the game throwing a water bottle at the All-Star from the stands in video caught by YES Network, the Nets’ home broadcast. The bottle didn’t hit Irving but Irving and the Nets roster saw the throw. A short time later, a fan was escorted from the Garden by security from that area.

Irving responded to the incident after scoring 39 points in Brooklyn’s Game 4 win.

“It’s unfortunate that sports have come to this crossroads,” Irving said. “You’re seeing a lot of old ways come up. It’s been that way in history in terms of entertainment, performers and sports for a long time. Just underlying racism and treating people like they’re in a human zoo, throwing stuff at people, saying things.

“There is a certain point where it gets to be too much so I called it out. I just wanted to keep it strictly basketball but you see people feel very entitled out here. They pay for their ticket, great. I’m grateful that they are coming in to watch a great performance but we’re not at the theater. We are not throwing tomatoes and other random stuff at the people that are performing. It’s too much and it’s a reflection on us as a whole when you have fans acting like that. Hopefully, people learn their lessons from being banned or however many years of being arrested, but it’s always going to be an occasion.”

The bottle throw joins a long list of inappropriate fan conduct around the NBA over the first week of the NBA Playoffs. Fans have been suspended or banned from arenas in Utah, New York and Philadelphia since Tuesday. In Philadelphia, a fan dumped popcorn on Wizards guard Russell Westbrook as he was escorted to the locker room following an injury. At Madison Square Garden, a fan was spotted on video spitting in the direction of Hawks guard Trae Young. Multiple fans were ejected in Utah for inappropriate comments towards the family of Grizzlies guard Ja Morant.

The Celtics and Nets face off at the Barclays Center in Game 5 on Tuesday night.

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