Losers of 11 straight, the Nets are in dire need of a win as they continue their freefall in the Eastern Conference standings. Their struggles have been a product of injury, roster movement and the part-time availability of Kyrie Irving.
Since making his debut on Jan. 5, Irving has been available exclusively for Nets away games, where he's made his presence felt and shown little signs of rust.
MORE: Kyrie Irving says "there's no guilt that I feel" about part-time availability
However, with Kevin Durant and Joe Harris sidelined due to injury and the team awaiting the debuts of newcomers Seth Curry, Andre Drummond and Ben Simmons, a shorthanded Nets roster becomes even thinner when Irving is unavailable for games played in Brooklyn.
The Nets need answers, which are much harder to find at home.
Is Kyrie Irving playing tonight?
On Monday, the Nets host the Kings at Brooklyn's Barclays Center, meaning Irving will be unavailable to play due to New York City regulations surrounding persons unvaccinated for COVID-19.
Nets @HSpecialSurgery Status Report for tonight's game vs. Sacramento pic.twitter.com/jUQkG3etHv
— Brooklyn Nets (@BrooklynNets) February 14, 2022
Monday will mark the eighth home game that Irving will miss since making his Nets debut. Brooklyn has posted a 2-5 record in its last seven home games without Irving.
Overall, the Nets are 12-14 at home this season.
Tracking Kyrie Irving's games played
Irving made his season debut on Jan. 5, 2022. In the time since, Irving has appeared in all 14 road games for which he has been eligible to play.
| Date | Opponent | Result | PTS | REB | AST |
| Jan. 5 | at Pacers | W, 129-121 | 22 | 3 | 4 |
| Jan. 10 | at Trail Blazers | L, 114-108 | 22 | 8 | 4 |
| Jan. 12 | at Bulls | W, 138-112 | 9 | 4 | 3 |
| Jan. 17 | at Cavaliers | L, 114-107 | 27 | 7 | 9 |
| Jan. 19 | at Wizards | W, 119-118 | 30 | 3 | 7 |
| Jan. 21 | at Spurs | W, 117-102 | 24 | 3 | 4 |
| Jan. 23 | at Timberwolves | L, 136-125 | 30 | 6 | 5 |
| Jan. 29 | at Warriors | L, 110-106 | 32 | 8 | 7 |
| Feb. 1 | at Suns | L, 121-111 | 26 | 4 | 3 |
| Feb. 2 | at Kings | L, 112-101 | 14 | 3 | 1 |
| Feb. 4 | at Jazz | L, 125-102 | 15 | 3 | 6 |
| Feb. 6 | at Nuggets | L, 124-104 | 27 | 5 | 11 |
| Feb. 10 | at Wizards | L, 113-112 | 31 | 5 | 6 |
| Feb. 12 | at Heat | L, 115-111 | 29 | 5 | 5 |
Through 14 games, Irving is averaging 24.1 points, 5.4 assists and 4.8 rebounds per game while shooting 45.2 percent from the field and 36.8 percent from 3-point range.
The Nets are 4-10 with Irving in the lineup this season, though it is worth noting that injuries have complicated things.
MORE: When will Kevin Durant return to Nets? | Time frame for Ben Simmons' Nets debut
When can Kyrie Irving play again?
Irving will be eligible to return to action on Saturday, Feb. 26 when the Nets travel to face the Bucks.
Of the Nets' 11 remaining road games, Irving is eligible to play in all but three – two trips to Madison Square Garden and Brooklyn's final trip to Toronto.
Nets remaining schedule 2021-22
As it stands, Irving is eligible to play in eight of Brooklyn's final 26 games.
| Date | Opponent | Time | National TV | Is Kyrie Eligible? |
| Feb. 14 | vs. Kings | 7:30 p.m. | – | No |
| Feb. 16 | at Knicks | 7:30 p.m. | ESPN | No |
| Feb. 17 | vs. Wizards | 7:30 p.m. | – | No |
| Feb. 24 | vs. Celtics | 7:30 p.m. | TNT | No |
| Feb. 26 | at Bucks | 8:30 p.m. | ABC | Yes |
| Feb. 28 | vs. Raptors | 7:30 p.m. | – | No |
| March 1 | at Raptors | 7:30 p.m. | – | No |
| March 3 | vs. Heat | 7:30 p.m. | TNT | No |
| March 6 | at Celtics | 1:00 p.m. | ABC | Yes |
| March 8 | at Hornets | 7:00 p.m. | – | Yes |
| March 10 | at 76ers | 7:30 p.m. | TNT | Yes |
| March 13 | vs. Knicks | 1:00 p.m. | ABC | No |
| March 15 | at Magic | 7:00 p.m. | – | Yes |
| March 16 | vs. Mavericks | 7:30 p.m. | ESPN | No |
| March 18 | vs. Trail Blazers | 7:30 p.m. | – | No |
| March 21 | vs. Jazz | 7:30 p.m. | NBA TV | No |
| March 23 | at Grizzlies | 7:30 p.m. | ESPN | Yes |
| March 26 | at Heat | 8:00 p.m. | NBA TV | Yes |
| March 27 | vs. Hornets | 7:30 p.m. | – | No |
| March 29 | vs. Pistons | 7:30 p.m. | – | No |
| March 31 | vs. Bucks | 7:30 p.m. | TNT | No |
| April 2 | at Hawks | 7:30 p.m. | NBA TV | Yes |
| April 5 | vs. Rockets | 7:30 p.m. | – | No |
| April 6 | at Knicks | 7:30 p.m. | ESPN | No |
| April 8 | vs. Cavaliers | 7:30 p.m. | – | No |
| April 10 | vs. Pacers | TBD | – | No |
*Bold indicates games in which Irving is eligible to play
