Buckle Up: Game 1 provides the full Kyrie Irving experience for Celtics, Nets

Any time Kyrie Irving comes back to face the Celtics since his abrupt departure from Boston, you know the Nets' guard is going to hear it from the Garden faithful. That will go on until his retirement.

We also know that Irving is a proud, sometimes cantankerous competitor, who doesn't like to hear a lot of criticism and will often give it right back to where it came from.

Put the two of those factors together and you have a potentially explosive situation in this first-round series between the Nets and Celtics.

Nobody really thought we'd have these kinds of fireworks ... before Game 1 was even over. But here we are.

Everyone at the Garden got the full Irving villain experience in the Celtics' eventual 115-114 Game 1 victory on Sunday — and it was marvelous in an old-school kind of way.

Irving was booed every time he touched the ball, and evidently was heckled incessantly from the stands.

And he gave it back.

First in the form of a few middle-finger salutes ...

... and then in the form of a spectacular, game-high 39 points — including 6 of 10 from 3 — in which he nearly rescued the Nets from a 15-point deficit all by himself.

"Obviously he made some incredible shots," said Nets coach Steve Nash. "We’ve come to expect that from him. In this environment and atmosphere, to make shots, we needed him. Brilliant shotmaking tonight.

"This is a guy that’s made the game-winning shot in the Finals. He’s played in the Olympics. He’s played in All-Star Games, All-Star Game MVP. I don’t know that there are any atmospheres that are really going to rattle him. That was kind of my point before the game. If he has an off night, he has an off night. I don’t think the crowd is a factor for Kyrie. Guy’s done about all you can do in the game.”

The post-game experience with Irving was also to be expected. He didn't duck any questions, and punched back at times.

"Where I’m from, I’m used to all these antics and people being close nearby, it’s nothing new when I come into this building what it’s gonna be like, but it’s the same energy they had for me, and I'm (going to) have the same energy for them," Irving said. "And it’s not every fan. I don’t want to attack every Boston fan, but when people start yelling (expletives) and all this other stuff, there’s only but so much you can take as a competitor, and we’re the ones expected to be docile and be humble and take a humble approach. Nah, (expletive) that. It’s the playoffs. This is what it is. I know what to expect in here, and it’s the same energy I’m giving back to them. It is what it is.

"I’m not really focused on it. It’s fun, you know what I’m saying, but where I’m from, I’ve dealt with so much, coming in here, you relish it as a competitor. And I'm going keep repeating myself when I say it again, but this isn’t my first time in TD Garden so what you guys saw and what you guys think is entertainment, or the fans think is entertainment, all is fair in competition. So if somebody’s gonna call me out of my name, I'm going to look at them straight in the eye and see if they’re really bout it. Most of the time they’re not."

After jousting with the fans in the arena, Irving still had his hands up with the media with this exchange:

Q: Does the hostility motivate you?

There's no hostility bro, it's basketball.

When you were flipping people off, I'd say that's some hostility.

From what? What point? Are you guessing that's some hostility? Hostility, for me, is like, growing up —

We've never seen that from you...

This is the first time you've actually caught it, because it's a big-time game. I respond in different ways. I'm not trying to focus on that. If you want to ask me questions about the fans, go ask them. Go on the street and ask them questions.

But from your perspective, do you feel like the hostility you get...

It's not hostility, bro.

Do you feel the energy you receive gets the best of you...

Embrace it. Embrace it. It's the dark side. Embrace it.

Irving was basically unstoppable in the fourth quarter, when he had 18 points on 7 of 9 shooting (77.8 percent), including 4 of 5 from 3 (80 percent) — while Kevin Durant had five in the quarter and 23 for the game (minus-13 net). 

“I don't think he worries about it," Durant said of the crowd reaction. "I think he just plays his game and does what’s required out there. Tonight, the shotmaking just controlling the game for us was incredible. And that's what we're gonna be going forward. So no matter where he's at, I think he's the same player.”

This three-pointer, with 45.9 seconds left over Marcus Smart, had the feeling of a game-winner.

But on the Nets' final possession, the Celtics swarmed Irving and his lack of a shot put Durant in a tough spot and eventually led to Jayson Tatum's game-winner as time expired.