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Nets’ Kyrie Irving says he feels ‘no guilt’ about his decision to remain unvaccinated

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With the Brooklyn Nets back on the road on Saturday night for a matchup with the Eastern Conference-leading Miami Heat, Kyrie Irving was eligible to play and finished with 29 points, five rebounds and five assists. But even that wasn’t enough, as the Nets’ comeback attempt fell short, 115-111. 

The loss was the 11th in a row for the Nets, who are now just 29-27 on the season, and clinging to the No. 8 seed in the Eastern Conference. With Kevin Durant out until some time after the All-Star break with a knee injury, Ben Simmons out indefinitely as he ramps back up and Irving only eligible to play in one game (at Milwaukee) the rest of the month, the Nets are in serious trouble.

After the loss to the Heat, Irving spoke to reporters and talked at length about his situation. He has often reiterated that he has no plans to get vaccinated, and said on Saturday that he feels “no guilt” for his decision. 

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“There’s no guilt that I feel,” Irving said. “I’m the only player that has to deal with this in New York City because I play there. If I was anywhere else in another city then it probably wouldn’t be the same circumstances. But because I’m there, we have Eric Adams, we have the New York mandate, we have things going on that are real-life circumstances that are not just affecting me, bro. So you ask me these questions, I don’t feel guilt.”

Irving also referenced promises that were allegedly made to him by the league and the players association prior to the season. It’s still not entirely clear what he’s referring to, but he previously made similar comments on Instagram

“I’m just living my life as best I can just like everybody else that missed these last two years,” Irving said. “I didn’t have a plan in place while all this was going on, didn’t know. The NBA and the NBPA made it very clear that there would be things that I would be able to do to work around this. And that’s off the table. So you tell me if I’m just alone out here or do I have support from everybody else that’s dealing with the same thing?” 

And though Irving said he doesn’t feel guilty about leaving his team shorthanded at times, he did admit that it’s “tough” to watch the games he’s not allowed to play in. 

“It’s always tough,” Irving said. “It’s been tough since the beginning. But there’s even a lesson in that, of just being more engaged than I was even a few months back. Just getting closer together with the guys and being able to do things that make this place not feel like work every day. Whether I’m there or at home or not, if I’m playing games or not.”

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As things stand, Irving is eligible to play in just eight games the rest of the regular season. While the Nets have 11 road games remaining, he cannot play in the two at Madison Square Garden against the Knicks, nor the game in Toronto against the Raptors due to COVID-19 mandates in those two cities. 

With Irving unwilling to alter his stance, the only hope the Nets have of getting him back for home games in New York City removing the mandate. Nets GM Sean Marks noted earlier this week the team is “always going to be optimistic,” on that front, but mayor Eric Adams gave no indication during a recent press conference that any change is imminent, saying he wants to “err on the side of caution.” 



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Gordon sacrificing stardom during Nuggets' title hunt:'I care about the wins'

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Aaron Gordon’s decision to focus on team success as opposed to individual stardom has helped Denver land on the cusp of its first NBA title.



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Seattle Mariners, Philadelphia Phillies, Blue Jays' Alek Manoah: Panic or Patience? | Flippin' Bats

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Ben Verlander says whether or not it’s time to panic or to be patient for the Seattle Mariners, Philadelphia Phillies and Toronto Blue Jays’ Alek Manoah.



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Avon’s OT winner lifts Petes to win over Blazers, Memorial Cup semifinal berth

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KAMLOOPS, B.C. — J.R. Avon scored the game-winning goal 10:54 into overtime and the Peterborough Petes beat the Kamloops Blazers 5-4 on Thursday, earning a semifinal berth at the Memorial Cup.

Connor Lockhart, Brennan Othmann, Samuel Mayer and Brian Zanetti had the others for Ontario Hockey League champion Peterborough. Michael Simpson made 43 saves.

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Logan Stankoven, Olen Zellweger, Harrison Brunicke and Logan Bairos replied for host Kamloops. Dylan Ernst stopped 25 shots.

The Petes will next meet the Western Hockey League champion Seattle Thunderbirds in Friday’s semifinal for a chance to face the Quebec Remparts in the final on Sunday.

The Quebec Major Junior Hockey League champion Remparts earned a berth into the final after opening the tournament with wins over Kamloops and Seattle.

Quebec later fell to Peterborough — which staved off elimination and forced Thursday’s tiebreaker with the victory — 4-2 on Tuesday in both teams’ final round-robin game.

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Lockhart opened the scoring 7:52 into the first period. Chase Lefebvre sent the puck across the end boards to Jax Dubois, who found Lockhart with a slick pass into the slot and he beat Ernst five-hole.

Stankoven evened it up 11:20 into the frame, sending the Sandman Centre crowd into a frenzy. Connor Levis took a point shot and the rebound came out to the Blazers captain, who scored his second of the tournament.

Zellweger put Kamloops ahead 12:45 into the frame on the power play. The CHL Defenceman of the Year nominee saved the puck from getting out of the Petes’ zone, moved into the slot and wired one past Simpson for his first.

With 2:27 remaining in the first, Brunicke piled it on for the Blazers. Peterborough’s Konnor Smith attempted to clear it from the end boards but the puck ended up with Brunicke at the point, where he got around a defender and beat Simpson just over his right shoulder with little room to spare.

Bairos gave Kamloops a 4-1 edge 4:23 into the middle frame. He fired a point shot that ricocheted off Simpson’s blocker, then over him and in.

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Just over three minutes later, the Petes began to swing the momentum back in their favour.

Othmann stripped Bairos of the puck as the Blazers defenceman tried to skate out of his own zone. Othmann then turned around and roofed it past Ernst as he fell to one knee.

Mayer made it a one-goal game on the power play with 2:23 left in the second. He took a pass from Lockhart and fired in a one-timer from the point.

Zanetti knotted the contest just over a minute later. He tipped in a pass from Tucker Robertson while streaking toward the net and beat Ernst five-hole.

Both sides struggled to capitalize on prime scoring opportunities leading to a scoreless third period and extra time to settle the winner.

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Following a dazzling effort by Zellweger that just missed, Owen Beck took the puck up ice for Peterborough and dropped it off for Avon, who put it past Ernst to seal the win.

WE MEET AGAIN

Kamloops defeated Peterborough 10-2 when the two last met on Sunday. But with 7:05 remaining in that game, Othmann laid a hit on Blazers defenceman Kyle Masters, who fell awkwardly into the boards.

Masters had to be stretchered off the ice and was taken to Royal Inland Hospital. Head coach and general manager Shaun Clouston said Monday that the blue liner was out for the tournament with a lower-body injury.

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