NEW YORK -- After the Brooklyn Nets locked up the No. 7 seed in the Eastern Conference with a 134-126 win over the Indiana Pacers on Sunday, Kyrie Irving smiled as he discussed the impact the play-in tournament has had on the NBA since its inception last season.
"I think somebody's in the back room hip hip hooraying whoever created the play-in tournament," Irving said after going 15-for-20 from the field and scoring 35 points in Sunday's regular-season finale. "Because last year you get Steph [Curry] and LeBron [James], this year you get me and KD going against the Cavs in the play-in game. And then you have in the Western Conference, Minnesota and the Clippers. So I guess somebody's in the back room saying this works."
With the win, Brooklyn was able to leapfrog Cleveland for the seventh seed, earning a home game against the Cavs at Barclays Center on Tuesday night in the No. 7 vs. No. 8 game. After playing in the biggest games the league has to offer through the years, Irving is looking forward to his first play-in experience.
"As a competitor, it feels like one of those Game 6s, Game 5s, Game 7s, where it's a must-win and you know that the ball's going to be tipped and it's not really going to depend on anything other than will, skill, how well you're prepared, physicality, how well you know the other team's offensive schemes ...
"You just don't know what can happen in games like that -- you just got to prepare for anything that can happen and really come in with a fearless attitude going against another great team. So I'm looking forward to it."