Preview: Kyrie, Steph to battle again as Warriors meet Nets in Chase

Ooowheee, we’ve got a good one for you coming up folks. The Golden State Warriors will be taking on the Brooklyn Nets in a game that should be exciting and full of ridiculous shot making.

The last time these two teams squared off, Golden State James Wiseman had a career high 30 points off the bench...in a game the Warriors were destroyed by thirty points. In that contest the Dubs were missing Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, and Andrew Wiggins. They’ll be back for this rematch, but Kevin Durant won’t be.

Golden State Warriors vs Brooklyn Nets

January 22nd, 2023 | 5:30 PT

Watch: NBA TV, NBC Sports Bay Area | Listen: 95.7 The Game

When the Brooklyn Nets assembled Kyrie Irving, James Harden, and Durant in January of 2021, it was easy to see the championship potential. From a Dub Nation perspective, it was amusing to watch Irving (the guy who deaded GSW in an NBA Finals Game 7 with a clutch shot), Harden (a longtime GSW antagonist) and Durant (a rival, turned legendary Warrior, turned ex-Dub) combine forces. Those guys vs the Dubs would have made for a tasty NBA Finals matchup, eh?

Wellp, the Warriors did indeed make it back to the throne, but the Nets have yet to make it to the conference finals since their blockbuster deal. Harden was traded away for Ben Simmons, while Durant and Irving have missed extended chunks of action at various times themselves.

After the Nets were unceremoniously swept out of the first round of the playoffs last season by the Boston Celtics, the Warriors eliminated Boston in the championship round to win their first title in the post-KD era, fourth overall of the Splash Bro dynasty. Who knew Draymond Green was right when he said the Warriors would win without the two-time NBA Finals MVP? Crazy times we live in, folks.

Now as the two teams take another go at getting the top spot this season, they have troubled waters to navigate.

Brooklyn has a record of 28-17, but have lost four out of their last five games after losing Durant to a knee injury. KD is not likely to return until February per ESPN, leaving Irving with a huge load to carry in his absence.

Meanwhile the defending champion Warriors are Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde to their fanbase, winning exactly half of their 46 games so far. They’ve been absolutely terrible on the road with a 6-18 record, but are coming off of a road big win against a Cleveland Cavaliers team jockeying with the Nets around the fifth seed in the East.

And the Dubs are returning home from their road trip to the Chase Center in San Francisco, where they are a dominant 17-5 so far this season.

Stephen Curry and Irving consistently have memorable battles, as these two elite guards have redefined what scoring from their position has looked like. Pardon me while I spam some excellent YouTube links from the epic battles these guys have shared.

Here’s hoping for another instant classic from these two ultimate competitors!