BONUS: Return of Kyrie
The return of Kyrie Irving to Cleveland caused this game to have some of the biggest buildup in recent memory for a tip-off game.
In his debut as a Celtic, Irving recorded 22 points and a game-high 10 assists. He was greeted during pregame introduction with mostly boos and scattered cheers. Every time he touched the ball in the beginning of the game, he was also heartily booed but that died down as the contest went on.
No surprise, Kyrie booed during intro's. @cavs @cleveland19news pic.twitter.com/POUPQxK0ZJ
— Tony Zarrella (@TonyZ19) October 18, 2017
Irving greeted Iman Shumpert prior to the game, but James and Wade went to him to bump knuckles prior to tip-off. Following the game, Irving participated in some signature handshakes with his old teammates.
#ThisIsWhyWePlay pic.twitter.com/rVg9oaTWv2
— NBA (@NBA) October 18, 2017
While the buildup and emotions may have been intense on both sides, ultimately once the ball was tipped there was no looking back for Irving or the Cavs.
“Anytime you win a championship with someone you automatically think about the moments, the memories, especially with someone who was instrumental to what we were able to accomplish,” James said. “But once the ball went up, it was kind of back to the regularly scheduled program.”
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