It was a memorable first quarter on Wednesday for Indiana Pacers shooting guard Lance Stephenson, who ironically hails from Brooklyn, New York. In a first quarter for the ages, Stephenson set the NBA record for most points off the bench in the first 12 minutes (20) in a game according to Colin Ward-Henninger of CBS Sports. He also became the first player this season to score 20 consecutive team points according to ESPN, and set a Pacers franchise record for most points in the first quarter.
However, this game was not all about Stephenson, who ended up with 30 points. The Pacers lost 129-121 to the Brooklyn Nets in a game that received significant hype prior to the contest as Australia native Kyrie Irving was making his 2021-22 NBA season debut. Irving has not played with the Nets all season long because of his refusal to get vaccinated for coronavirus. Until now, he has not played due in part to a New York state law which requires people to show proof of receiving at least one vaccination of coronavirus before entering Barclays Center or Madison Square Garden.
Prior to Wednesday, the Nets decided to keep Irving away from the team. He could have played most out of New York state road games for the Nets within the United States, but the Nets organization decided at the beginning of the season that it would be best for team chemistry that Irving not be on the roster. However, losing talks. After three consecutive home losses to the Philadelphia 76ers, Los Angeles Clippers and Memphis Grizzlies, the decision was made to start Irving on Wednesday, who ended up with 22 points in 32 minutes.
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