MILWAUKEE -- Reigning league MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo said he knew better than to engage in a one-on-one battle with former teammate Jabari Parker during Milwaukee's 111-102 win over the Atlanta Hawks on Wednesday.

Instead, The Greek Freak relied on team basketball. He scored 30 points and 18 rebounds -- to counter Parker's season-high 33 points and 14 rebounds -- as he led the Bucks to their first 15-3 start since 1973-74.

"We did that in practice every day," said Antetokounmpo, who played four seasons alongside Parker from 2014 to '18. "At the end of the day, Jabari's such a good player one-on-one, so I try not to get out of your game because you know that he loves to do that. He wants you to play one-on-one because he's so good at it."

All-Star forward Khris Middleton returned from his seven-game absence because of a left thigh contusion to post 16 points in 20 minutes off the bench. Parker posted 25 of his 33 points through two quarters, marking a career high for a half, and Trae Young added 29 points with seven assists. However, the Hawks dropped their eighth consecutive contest after overcoming a 17-point deficit.

"I just love being here. I love the fans," Parker said of Milwaukee. "It's like a home game for me because I just love the energy, and it's just like coming back to my second home in a lot of ways, so I get excited playing here."

Ahead of Wednesday's tipoff, Parker told ESPN that he would "never" rule out a return to the first NBA organization that he called home. He faces a player option for 2020-21 with the Hawks after signing a two-year, $13 million contract on July 11.

Antetokounmpo caught wind of Parker's comments after the victory and also wouldn't rule out a reunion down the line.

"I don't think there's a player that ever leaves Milwaukee that doesn't love Milwaukee," Antetokounmpo said. "As an organization, that's what we're trying to do. We're trying to make players love playing in Milwaukee, love being in Milwaukee."

Antetokounmpo is eligible to sign a five-year, $253.75 million supermax extension with the Bucks in the summer of 2020. That would be the largest in NBA history, per ESPN's Bobby Marks. However, Antetokounmpo set the record straight during Milwaukee's media day in September, saying that all free-agency talk throughout the season would be "disrespectful" to his teammates.

"At the end of the day, I want guys to love being here, love playing for this team, love playing with me," Antetokounmpo said. "I love that if he ever finds an opportunity to come back, he's willing to come back. Who knows? We might be teammates again.

"And it's not just Jabari. I'm talking about all of the guys -- Tony [Snell], Thon [Maker], Christian Wood, [Matthew Dellavedova], John Henson, Brandon Jennings -- all those guys that I played with. I know that if the opportunity presented itself, they would love to be here. A lot of people that played with me these seven years love playing for Milwaukee, and they love being in Milwaukee."

NEW ORLEANS -- As the lights dimmed in the Smoothie King Center for the national anthem and a calm came over the crowd, one New Orleans Pelicans fan let Anthony Davis know exactly what he thought about his return to the city he once called home.

"AD's a sellout!"

It was just a precursor to the type of treatment Davis was going to receive Wednesday night as the Los Angeles Lakers forward played his first game in New Orleans since an offseason trade.

From the moment Davis hit the floor in warm-ups, the boos came crashing down from the top of the arena.

But Davis got the last laugh, scoring a game-high 41 points in the Lakers' 114-110 win.

Davis said experiencing the boos last season while he was still a member of the Pelicans -- when he was booed in his first game back after requesting a trade -- helped ease him into Wednesday's game. It also helped that LeBron James has had his share of returns to former teams as well.

"He went through a lot worse from what he told me. I just got boos. ... I felt good coming to the game when the ball was tipped," Davis said. "I think coming in and just worrying about what was on the floor and not what the crowd was saying or whatever. I did here something during the national anthem. That was the only time, it was super quiet. Other than that, I didn't really hear much. I actually got some love when I was sitting on the bench from some Pelican fans."

Davis' exit from the Crescent City was a drawn-out affair that started when he requested a trade in January but wasn't dealt until the summer.

On Wednesday, Pelicans fans relentlessly booed Davis any time he touched the ball, but the razzing wasn't just reserved for New Orleans' former No. 1 pick as James received his share of boos as well. James, the first person announced in the starting lineups, was booed in the early going but as the game wore on, the boos focused on Davis.

Every time Davis touched the ball, the boos of Pelicans' fans drowned out the cheers of the purple-and-gold-clad fans in the crowd. If Davis made a shot, Lakers fans would stand up and cheer. If he missed, it made Pelicans fans cheer as if Brandon Ingram or Jrue Holiday had made a basket.

Davis' teammates heard the boos throughout and had other ideas about where they should've been directed.

"New Orleans fans should probably boo their own team for letting him get 40 and come back," Lakers forward Kyle Kuzma said. "I don't know what that was. But he was ready for this game. On the way to the arena on the bus he was rapping out loud and he never really does that so you could kinda tell that he was ready to play."

James said the team could feel throughout the day how much the game meant to Davis.

"We understood, I mean anytime you go back to a place you've made a mark, you started your career... you wanna come back and play well," James said. "We knew that as his brothers ... that goal that he had set."

On top of the 41 points, Davis also helped to seal the game with a steal in the final seconds off of a Pelicans' inbounds play. He went 3-of-4 from the free throw line in the final 5.3 seconds. Before Davis changed out of his uniform, he went to the Pelicans locker room to give Holiday a signed jersey and wound up lingering a bit to catch up with old teammates and coaches.

"It just happened to work out that way," Davis said. "I just wanted to get the win. It was a great game. We competed and I think from my perspective everybody in the world that's all they want. A game like that. Two good teams going at it. I won't say tension, but everybody wanted to see. It was fun for me. Had a great time but most importantly I was just glad we got the win."

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Big Picture

Day-night Test matches have been the centre of much discussion in recent days with India hosting their first contest with the pink ball. The second game of this series brings us back to the original home of the day-night Tests as the Adelaide Oval hosts its fourth match under lights. Whether India are playing under lights here next year is currently the topic of much debate.

Back in the present and the question is whether the different conditions will help or hinder Pakistan's chances of levelling the series. Given the struggle of the bowlers in Brisbane, if there is the prospect of their seamers getting more assistance it may narrow the gap, although anything their quicks can do Australia's big three will be very confident of replicating.

After flattering to deceive in the opening session at the Gabba, Pakistan were then so far behind the game after two days that even an improved showing could not prevent an innings defeat. However, Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan - plus Asad Shafiq in the first innings - gave a template of how success can be achieved.

It was difficult to pick holes in Australia's performance although Tim Paine said the performance of the pace attack was slightly below the high expectations they set themselves. The top order did an outstanding job, but it will be interesting to see how they respond if challenged with more movement than was on offer in Brisbane.

For Australia this is the first of back-to-back day-night Tests with the opening game against New Zealand also under lights in Perth next month. While the format is still trying to find its feet around the world it is clear it is seen as a key part of the future of the game in Australia. After the underwhelming crowd numbers in Brisbane, how many come through turnstiles will be closely watched.

Form guide

Australia WLWLD (last five completed matches, most recent first)
Pakistan LLLLL

In the spotlight

The shock. The gasps. The silence. Steven Smith was out for 4. It would become the lowest score in Australia's mammoth 580. He made himself run back to the hotel the evening of his dismissal to Yasir Shah who reminded him that it was the seventh time he had removed him. Was that a good idea? It will hardly go down as one of the more vicious bowler v batsman baiting stories in the game, but Smith won't want to go two matches in a row without contributing even if it's the least his team owes him. Shah will need to be on top of his game.

It has largely been accepted - except, perhaps, by Pakistan's inner circle - that leaving Mohammad Abbas out of the Gabba Test was a mistake. His experience, control and skill - even if marginally diminished - would have surely been an asset. It seems inevitable he will now be recalled, with the pressure of stopping an in-form Australia top order. With the new pink ball likely to offer some assistance and then the element of twilight period, Abbas appears to be the perfect type of bowler.

Team news

Australia have named an unchanged team which means no place for James Pattinson who was ruled out of the first Test following his code of conduct suspension.

Australia 1 David Warner, 2 Joe Burns, 3 Marnus Labuschagne, 4 Steven Smith, 5 Travis Head, 6 Matthew Wade, 7 Tim Paine (capt & wk), 8 Pat Cummins, 9 Mitchell Starc, 10 Nathan Lyon, 11 Josh Hazlewood

Pakistan could make at least two changes and potentially three. Imam-ul-Haq is likely to return in place of Haris Sohail, meaning captain Azhar Ali will drop to No. 3, and Abbas is set to replace Imran Khan. The other decision to make is whether to play Naseem Shah in back-to-back Tests or bring in the uncapped 19-year-old Muhammad Musa.

Pakistan (probable) 1 Shan Masood, 2 Imam-ul-Haq, 3 Azhar Ali (capt), 4 Babar Azam, 5 Asad Shafiq, 6 Iftikhar Ahmed, 7 Mohammad Rizwan (wk), 8 Yasir Shah, 9 Shaheen Afridi, 10 Mohammad Abbas, 11 Naseem Shah/Muhammad Musa

Pitch and conditions

Usually an excellent pitch for Test cricket, the Adelaide Oval surface has produced some exciting cricket when the added dimension of the pink ball and lights are added. The long summer nights mean it doesn't get fully dark until late, but the twilight period can remain tricky. The less promising news is that there is the chance of showers throughout the match.

Stats and Trivia

• The top four wicket-takers in the brief history of day-night Test cricket will be on show: Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood, Yasir Shah and Nathan Lyon

• The top three leading run-scorers of day-night Tests - Azhar Ali, Steven Smith and Asad Shafiq - will also be playing

• Pakistan have not played a Test in Adelaide since 1990 when Imran Khan and Wasim Akram hit second-innings hundreds in a sixth-wicket stand of 191

• Steven Smith needs 23 runs to reach 7000 in Test cricket

Quotes

"I think that wicket looks a bit drier than perhaps it was the last pink ball Test we played here against England, but as we know the pink ball always offers enough. Our fast bowlers certainly enjoy bowling with it, particularly under lights. And the games tend to go quite quickly."
Tim Paine

Ross Taylor believes the depth in New Zealand cricket is "definitely the best" it has been at any point of his career.

Despite losing Trent Boult and Colin de Grandhomme to injury ahead of the second Test in Hamilton, Taylor is confident New Zealand can continue to flourish as a result of the quality of recruits coming into the side.

Allrounder Daryl Mitchell has been confirmed as the replacement for de Grandhomme, while either Matt Henry or Lockie Ferguson will replace Boult. On a surprisingly green surface that looks as if it may start just a touch damp and not offer much pace, it seems Henry is slightly more likely to play.

"The depth is definitely the best it's ever been during my career," Taylor said. "When I first started, I thought if we had a guy on debut we sort of hoped the player would do well. Now we expect the player to do well and that's a good place to be.

"It's exciting to be giving other guys an opportunity and test the depth of this team. That's probably been a strength of the side in recent times: guys who have come in have succeeded straightaway and put pressure on the incumbents."

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Taylor is well placed to comment. He started his international career in 2006 - on the same day as Alastair Cook - and is now the fourth most-capped men's player in New Zealand's history.

His words are backed by the Test rankings, too. New Zealand currently have three men in the top eight of the batting rankings and five in the top 18. They also have three men in the top 14 of the bowling rankings. There is also excitement over the impact South African-born Devon Conway could make in international cricket when he becomes eligible to play for New Zealand in September 2020.

Conway was the leading run-scorer in last season's Super Smash (New Zealand's domestic T20 tournament) and Plunket Shield (the first-class competition) and recently compiled an unbeaten triple-century for Wellington against Canterbury. It was just the eighth triple-century in first-class cricket in New Zealand and he went on to score the highest match aggregate in a first-class match in the country: 393.

"Colin de Grandhomme leaves some big shoes to fill but Daryl has some experience of international cricket at T20 level," Taylor continued. "He had a very good campaign around the first-class scene, too, so I'm looking forward to seeing how he goes.

"Whoever plays - Henry or Ferguson - will do very well. They are slightly different bowlers - Lockie has that extra pace, but Matt has been outstanding for us with the new ball - but they've both got their strengths. They have big shoes to fill, too, but both can do a great job and perform a similar role. Whoever we go with, we'll have a lot of confidence in."

Meanwhile, Taylor expressed his confidence in Joe Root despite the England captain's struggles with the bat in recent times. Admitting he found captaining and performing as a batsman a "tough balance", Taylor nevertheless expressed his confidence that Root would return to form.

"I wasn't captain for as long as Root," Taylor said. "And as captain of England, the scrutiny of the media is probably a little bit more than we get in New Zealand. It's a tough balance. Cricket can be a tough game, and it can be a lonely place at times.

"But, first and foremost, you're a batsman and it's a lot easier to give those messages [as captain] if you're scoring those runs. I'm only looking from afar but it seems they have a pretty good team dynamic and a good senior leadership group. Those senior players will be taking the heat off him in other ways, so that he can focus on his batting.

"He's got to be himself and authentic to the way he plays and trust himself. He's a class player. It's only a matter of time before he scores runs."

PHILADELPHIA -- Joel Embiid got back to playing the kind of game he expects from himself and nothing like the worst game of his career two nights prior.

Embiid had 33 points and 16 rebounds to lead the Philadelphia 76ers to a 97-91 victory over the Sacramento Kings on Wednesday night.

He was scoreless Monday night in a 101-96 loss at Toronto. In 32 minutes against the Raptors, the star big man went 0-for-11 from the field, including 0-for-4 from the arc and missed all three of his free throws.

Against the Kings, he scored the first points of the game with an emphatic dunk 23 seconds in and had some key points late in the game to help Philadelphia improve to 8-0 at home. He finished 10-of-19 from the field and 12-of-14 from the free throw line.

"I should play like that every night," Embiid said. "After the last performance, I had to be a little more aggressive."

Embiid said he felt more "free" than he did being guarded by Toronto's Marc Gasol and a constant double-teamer, and Kings coach Luke Walton said his team wasn't able to execute its plan.

"Our plan was to double, but we didn't do a good job early," he said. "We were soft and late."

Of Embiid's 14 trips to the foul line, Walton said, "We have to be more disciplined."

Philadelphia rookie Matisse Thybulle scored all 15 of his career-best points in the second half. Thybulle was needed after Josh Richardson didn't return in the second half due to right hamstring tightness. Thybulle, who entered averaging 3.4 points, added four steals and two blocks while making all five of his shots, including three 3-pointers.

"You have to be ready for every opportunity," Thybulle said.

Buddy Hield scored 22 points and Dewayne Dedmon had 18 for the Kings. They were 1-3 on a four-game trip.

Hield, coming off a career-high 41 points at Boston on Monday night, made 3 of 12 3-pointers and 9 of 24 shots overall.

Sacramento closed within five, 92-87, thanks to a 14-2 run. But Embiid scored from close to put the 76ers up 94-87 and then hit a pair from the line to make it 96-87 with 1:41 left.

SHOOTING SIMMONS?

Ben Simmons' continued reluctance to shoot conventional jump shots remains an issue in Philadelphia. Simmons hit his first career 3-pointer against the Knicks on Nov. 20, but he hasn't tried a true 3 -- his shot-clock heave Monday at Toronto notwithstanding.

Coach Brett Brown repeatedly has defended his star point guard, saying that his jump shot will come in time. He again was asked several times prior to Wednesday's game about Simmons' shot.

"In general, I want him to shoot more," Brown said. "There are available shots he can look at more."

Brown said it's something Simmons continues to work on in practice.

Simmons drained a 13-foot turnaround jumper with 6:40 left in the first half, but then didn't touch rim with a try from similar distance a little under a minute later.

Simmons finished with 10 points, 14 rebounds and five assists.

HOME SWEET HOME

Philadelphia remained undefeated at home while selling out for the 101st straight contest.

"We love playing at home," Brown said. "This crowd respects, appreciates and pays for effort, and for the most part, I think that we give it."

TIP-INS

Kings: De'Aaron Fox (ankle) missed his eighth straight contest, and Trevor Ariza (personal) was out for his fifth straight game. ... The teams wrap up the two-game season series on March 5 at Sacramento. ... Philadelphia fans booed Nemanja Bjelica, who spurned the 76ers for Europe prior to last offseason.

76ers: Kyle O'Quinn (left calf) and Shake Milton (upper respiratory infection) didn't play. ... Richardson had nine points in 17 first-half minutes.

UP NEXT

Kings: Host Denver on Saturday night.

76ers: At New York on Friday night.

BOSTON -- It was a long five days between when Kemba Walker crashed to the floor in Denver on Friday and when he took the court with his Boston Celtics teammates Wednesday night at home against the Brooklyn Nets.

But on a night that was supposed to be all about Kyrie Irving, the man who replaced him here at point guard, Walker, played like he hadn't missed a minute, finishing with a season-high 39 points to lead the Celtics to a 121-110 victory over the Irving-less Nets in front of a raucous sellout crowd at TD Garden.

"I've been over it," Walker said after the game of the sprained neck he suffered against the Nuggets. "I mean, I could have played last game, honestly.

"But if I'm on the court, I'm on the court. That's really it. I wasn't out there thinking about anything. I wanted to win."

The Celtics were able to win, and they remain undefeated at home (7-0) this season, thanks in large part to Walker's heroics.

The Nets made 21 3-pointers -- including 19 after the first quarter -- and there were times when it appeared they could pull away from Boston. That was especially true in the second and third quarters, when they combined to go 15-of-28 from 3-point range.

Instead, Walker matched the Nets shot for shot, scoring 13 points in each of those quarters. That allowed the Celtics to stay in the game until Brooklyn began to cool as the second half wore on, and Boston's depth -- plus that home-court advantage -- could begin to work in its favor.

"Kemba kept us in it in the second quarter as they were going through their flurries of 3s," Celtics coach Brad Stevens said. "He kept hitting huge shots, and that allowed us to stay in the game.

"We've all seen many times when teams get hot, and it's hard to sustain over the course of the whole game. We knew how urgent we had to play in the second half, because of the way they were."

Given where things stood Friday night, when Walker was taken off the court in Denver on a stretcher after crashing into Semi Ojeleye's midsection, the Celtics were thrilled to have him back on the court so soon -- let alone playing the way he is.

"I would say so," Stevens said, when asked if both Walker's quick return and his play Wednesday were the best-case scenarios for Boston. "Sometimes it looks bad and it's not with head and neck injuries, and sometimes it looks not as bad and it can be really bad.

"We are all really happy that Kemba is OK and feel very fortunate. I know he does, too. For him to be playing and even feeling fresh five days later is good. He was unbelievable tonight."

While Walker was doing it all for the Celtics -- he was 13-of-24 from the field, 6-of-10 from 3-point range, 7-of-7 from the foul line and had six rebounds and four assists -- there was plenty of attention being paid to Irving, despite the fact he wasn't in the building.

The Nets announced last Friday that Irving, who has now missed seven straight games with a right shoulder impingement, wouldn't attend Brooklyn's three-game road trip.

At various points, the crowd chanted "Kyrie sucks!" and "Where is Kyrie?" It also spent plenty of time serenading Walker with cheers, including "MVP" chants in the fourth quarter.

"I don't really pay attention to the Kyrie stuff," Walker said. "That's just the fans and how they feel. That's not something I'm really paying close attention to. And of course the MVP chants are really great. It's always a great feeling to have support from your fan base, and I most definitely appreciate this fan base."

The teams play again in Brooklyn on Friday afternoon. The Nets haven't said if Irving will return.

"That's why you can't celebrate too much after a win," said Jaylen Brown, who finished with 22 points and 10 rebounds for Boston. "It's always about the next one in this league. We've got to lock in. It's a weird opportunity, to get to play the same team twice, so we've got to be ready for the next game like we are today."

Veteran catcher Yan Gomes has agreed to a two-year, $10 million deal to return to the World Series champion Washington Nationals, a source told ESPN's Jeff Passan on Wednesday.

Gomes caught the final out of Washington's World Series Game 7 win over the Houston Astros and will rejoin Kurt Suzuki as the Nationals' catching tandem.

Gomes was acquired from the Cleveland Indians in a four-player trade in November 2018 and started 90 of 93 games he played last season while splitting duties behind the plate with Suzuki. He hit .223 with 16 doubles, 12 home runs and 43 RBIs while throwing out 30% of attempted base stealers.

The 32-year-old has a .245 average with 99 homers and 351 RBIs in seven big league seasons.

BUFFALO, N.Y. -- In a letter of apology addressed to general manager Brad Treliving, Calgary Flames coach Bill Peters acknowledged using offensive language in dealing with a Nigerian-born player 10 years ago in the minors.

Without referencing the words he used, Peters wrote in the letter that he knows his comments to Akim Aliu have been the source of both anger and disappointment. The letter was obtained by TSN and posted to Twitter. Peters added that the incident occurred in a "moment of frustration and does not reflect my personal values.''

A statement from Bill Peters, in the form of a letter to CGY GM Brad Treliving:: pic.twitter.com/YouP6ZABrm

— Bob McKenzie (@TSNBobMcKenzie) November 28, 2019

He noted that following the incident, he was "rightfully challenged about my use of language" and "immediately returned to the dressing room to apologize to the team."

Peters did not refer to Aliu by name but said he regrets the incident and apologizes to anyone negatively affected by it, calling his comments "hurtful and demeaning."

The letter was released with Peters away from the team while the Flames and the NHL conduct an investigation into Aliu's allegations.

Treliving, who is overseeing the investigation into Peters, called it a "difficult three days for everyone."

"This investigation we're doing, I know everyone wants this done immediately and the world we live in is immediate,'' Treliving said. "I hope you can appreciate we're trying to do everything we possibly can to make sure we get it right and get all the information that needs to be gotten.''

Before issuing the letter, Peters had not commented or been with his team the past two days while the NHL and the team investigate allegations made by Aliu, who said Peters "dropped the N bomb several times" because he didn't like the player's choice of music. The alleged confrontation happened during the 2009-10 season while the two were with the Chicago Blackhawks' minor league affiliate in Rockford, Illinois.

Peters traveled with the team to Buffalo on Tuesday, a day after Aliu posted his allegations on Twitter. But Peters' whereabouts were unknown, with the Flames saying only that he wouldn't be behind the bench for Calgary's game Wednesday at Buffalo. Associate coach Geoff Ward assumed head-coaching duties as the Flames won 3-2 in overtime.

Peters also was accused this week of punching and kicking players while he was in Carolina.

Hurricanes coach Rod Brind'Amour said Wednesday "for sure that happened" in backing a former player's complaints of Peters physically going after his players behind the bench during his four seasons in Carolina.

Brind'Amour, who was an assistant on Peters' staff, said he was proud of the way players and support staff handled what happened by immediately bringing their concerns to team officials.

"Management handled it directly and never heard of it again and never saw anything else after that," said Brind'Amour, who spoke to reporters in New York before the Hurricanes' game against the Rangers. "So it was definitely dealt with, in my opinion, correctly. ... We've definitely moved past that."

Brind'Amour took over as coach after Peters opted out of his contract following the 2017-18 season. Peters was then immediately hired by the Flames, and he led the team to a 50-win season and a Pacific Division title in his first year.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

SAN FRANCISCO -- Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green returned for Wednesday might's game against the Chicago Bulls after missing the past three games because of a right heel injury.

After Monday morning's shootaround, Green said he was hopeful he would be able to play.

"It's getting better," he said. "Not great, but it's getting better."

Green said he had some inflammation in the heel but believed the injury was due in part to "wear and tear problems."

Green, who missed a week earlier this season because of a torn ligament in his finger, said these injuries were not out of the ordinary after all the minutes he has played year after year.

"It's pretty standard," Green said. "Always something going on. I think as you get older, you start to pay more attention to those bumps and bruises because you understand the body more ... it's not that I couldn't have played, but is it the smart thing to do?"

He added: "I leave every game with bumps and bruises no matter what, but I think in certain situations with certain things, you realize what's next. Like, if I don't take care of this, I'm going to go out there, I'm going to overcompensate, and then the left knee's going to start hurting. You just kind of start to figure all that out as you get older and just becoming more in tune with yourself."

BOSTON -- No time was wasted. As the lights dimmed and the player introduction video began to roll on the Jumbotron in TD Garden, the heckling began. The chants were loud, the booing was relentless, and signs denouncing the Boston Celtics' former star were abundant.

The target of the taunting, Kyrie Irving, was hundreds of miles away from TD Garden. Irving, who has missed the past seven games because of a right shoulder impingement, did not make the trip to face his former team. The rest of the Brooklyn Nets' players served as Irving's proxies.

"Where is Kyrie?" Celtics fans chanted.

"Kyrie sucks!" they screeched nearly every time Jarrett Allen went to the free throw line.

"It was better than I thought," Allen said. "They could've booed us every time we touched the ball. If Kyrie was here, it probably would've been 10 times worse."

In the fall of 2018, Irving told an arena full of Celtics fans that he intended to re-sign with Boston during his 2019 free agency. Instead, he chose the Nets alongside Kevin Durant and DeAndre Jordan. On Media Day in Brooklyn, Irving said that he meant it when he told fans he would re-sign. But then his grandfather died, basketball became less important to him, and over time, the Celtics' locker room grew fractured and chilly.

"I failed those guys," Irving said in September. "In terms of me being a leader in that environment and bringing everyone together, I failed."

It seems that the Celtics organization has largely forgiven Irving. The franchise has stuck to diplomatic talking points when speaking about Irving's tumultuous Celtics tenure. If the team had retained Irving, Boston would not have signed Kemba Walker, who has quickly become a fan favorite and has presided over the Celtics' 13-4 start to the season, including Wednesday's 121-110 win over the Nets.

Walker scored 39 points on 13-of-24 shooting, including 6-of-10 on 3-pointers.

"I've said many times that I really enjoy Kyrie and wish him nothing but the best," Celtics coach Brad Stevens said before the game.

That nuance was unimportant on Wednesday. Outside the arena, fliers with the word "coward" stamped across Irving's face were plastered on telephone poles. Another leaflet depicted Irving as the cowardly lion from "The Wizard of Oz."

In the arena, fans held up signs that said "Kemba > Kyrie." Another poster had Irving's face superimposed over a photo of Waldo from "Where's Waldo?" Other fans had "Kanter" painted over where Irving's name had been on a No. 11 jersey.

By the fourth quarter, "Kyrie sucks" chants were not reserved for the Nets. It became a rally cry when the Celtics shot free throws and during dead balls as well.