Kyrie Irving described himself as "at peace" over his time with the Nets after scoring 36 points in a stellar return to Brooklyn as the Dallas Mavericks won 119-107 on Tuesday.
Irving, acquired from the Nets exactly one year ago, shot 15 of 24 from the field, was 4 of 11 on 3-pointers and handed out five assists.
Luka Doncic fell just short of a 10th triple-double this season with 35 points, 18 rebounds and nine assists.
Dallas improved to 28-23 with its second straight win before Thursday's road game in New York.
After the win, Irving faced a string of questions over his time spent with the Nets, with his return coming after Kevin Durant also made a winning return to Brooklyn last week.
"I don’t think about it too often now, I’m pretty much at peace with what happened and the time I spent here," said Irving.
"I wish a lot of the guys well. Obviously, it was emotional and you could see my emotions running on out there but after that, I was just pretty much focused on winning the basketball game.
"It was just like any other basketball game, but it felt like I was home."
Pressed on his Brooklyn exit after impressing in his second game back after missing six with a sprained right thumb, Irving added: "It was time to get my own peace of mind and go somewhere where I was able to thrive.
"I did not want to be in a situation where I didn't have to worry about behind-the-back talk or the media talk or not knowing how to handle real-life circumstances that has nothing to do with the game of basketball.
"While I was here, I learned a lot of lessons. I've made my peace again and I just want to move forward."
The Nets only won one playoff series with Durant and Irving, who spent three-and-a-half years in Brooklyn.
However, they almost defeated the eventual champion Milwaukee Bucks in the Eastern Conference semifinals in 2021, a battle that took place while James Harden and Irving were both short of full fitness.
Irving said: "Things could have changed, and you look back at the past and you have 20-20 vision then this could've gone right or if this would've happened…
"If I didn't get injured versus the Bucks, do I still ask for a trade? If KD's foot wasn't on the 3-point line, are we talking about a different legacy here? If James doesn't ask for a trade – all of the woulda, coulda, shoulda, wouldas.
"Everything that I've learned about myself has come from being in the city and being in Jersey. It was a childhood dream to play for the Nets.
"Obviously I fell short in terms of the championship aspirations, but for me, I think it was bigger than a championship here.
"I had to really take some moral stances. There were some political things that were going on here as well and there were some things that I did on my accord that I look back on and they were mistakes. And I have to be accountable for those things.
"I'm not perfect. But one thing I can say is I've been able to learn from things and continue to push forward."
Mikal Bridges scored 28 points and Royce O’Neal added 18 for Brooklyn, which cut a 23-point deficit to 107-101 with roughly five minutes left before Irving hit two straight 3s for a 113-101 advantage.
The Mavericks are eighth in the highly competitive Western Conference standings.
Irving added: "Hopefully after this night, we can just put that to rest, just move forward and I can look forward to the rest of my career and just handle it in Dallas and going after my second championship."
NBA: Magic survive 'special' Mitchell onslaught to force series decider in Cleveland
The Orlando Magic survived a "special" Donovan Mitchell showing to overcome the Cleveland Cavaliers and force Game 7 in the NBA Playoffs.
Mitchell posted 50 points but that was not enough for the Cavaliers, who will have home advantage on Sunday in the winner-takes-all decider after their 103-96 loss in Game 6.
Mitchell's half-century haul tied for the second most in a loss in a potential series clincher in NBA history, according to ESPN.
Magic head coach Jamahl Mosley was quick to heap praise on Mitchell as Orlando edged through to a series decider.
"He was going, but the other guys didn't have it going as much," Mosley said. "No one overreacted [to Mitchell]. He's a special, special player.
"To be able to have 50 and only make three 3s, that's very special. But our ability not to overreact or panic to what was happening because we continued to share it, move it, trust each other."
Mitchell scored all his team’s 18 points in the fourth quarter, including a pair of 3s.
The Cavaliers star fell one point shy of matching the franchise playoff scoring record set by LeBron James, who had 51 in May 2018 against Golden State in the NBA Finals.
"We missed shots. Mine went in, but if it's not 50 maybe it's 60 or whatever it is," Mitchell said. "Maybe it's 30-10-10, whatever the game calls for. It is what it is.
"We didn't win the game. If I had 20 more, we would be up 20 more. Whatever the game calls for, it's my job to figure it out."
Cleveland won Games 1, 2 and 5 but Mitchell says previous encounters will be meaningless come the decider.
"All of the stuff you've done for six games all goes out the window," Mitchell said. "It's all about desperation and will.
"It's going to be just like tonight – find ways to continually be relentless. I have no doubt that we'll show up."
Franz Wagner had 26 points and Jalen Suggs added 22 for the Magic, who have not won a series for 14 years.
"Anything they have done to try and throw us off our game, knock us off balance, we've responded to it," Suggs said.
"We didn't want to end it here, and I think we all found comfort in that – in understanding how much pressure, you can call it, is on this game. But it was just another game for all of us."
Doncic: 'It's a pleasure' working with 'unbelievable' Irving
Luka Doncic hailed Kyrie Irving's performance against the Los Angeles Clippers as "unbelievable" after the Dallas Mavericks progressed in the playoffs.
Irving starred with 30 points, six rebounds and four assists as the Mavs won 114-101 on Friday to seal a 4-2 series victory.
Eight-time All-Star Irving scored 28 points in the second half to propel the Mavs to victory, leaving teammate Doncic, who finished with 28 points, seven rebounds and 13 assists, in awe.
"I would say unbelievable," Doncic said of Irving's display.
"So it's even more special, but just to have the guy like that on your team, it's a pleasure.
"Just working with him, just playing with him, it's a pleasure no matter what. He's always positive energy, always. Not even one second of negative energy, which helps a lot, helps everybody and we're so happy to have him."
Across the series, Irving averaged 26.5 points and 51.4 per cent shooting.
"He doesn't force anything," Mavs forward Derrick Jones Jr. added of Irving, who joined Dallas from the Brooklyn Nets in 2023.
"He lets the game come to him and he knows the perfect moments where he should be more ultra-aggressive."
A bullish Irving said: "I just got to get there to that point to be able to be ready to have the other team submit.
"One of the hardest things to do as a competitor is to have your opponent concede or submit. And I do want to take this time to give a respectful shoutout and also show my respect to the Clippers organisation and the players. It's always fun."
Clippers star Paul George bowed to Irving's imperious performance.
"You give someone like Kai those looks, that basket gets bigger and bigger," he said.
"I thought that was really all he needed to see. Everything else was a playground for him."
The Mavs will face the Oklahoma City Thunder for a place in the Conference finals.
NBA: Mavs eliminate Clippers, Magic overcome Mitchell's 50 to force Game 7
Kyrie Irving scored 28 of his 30 points in the second half and Luka Dončić added 28 points, 13 assists and seven rebounds as the Dallas Mavericks finished off the Los Angeles Clippers, 114-101, to advance to the Western Conference semifinals on Friday.
The fifth-seeded Mavericks beat the Clippers for the first time in three first-round tries over the last five seasons and will open the West semis at top-seeded Oklahoma City on Tuesday.
Paul George had 18 points and 11 rebounds and James Harden added 16 points and 13 assists but was 5 of 16 from the field and 0 for 6 from 3-point range as Los Angeles was eliminated in the first round for the second straight season.
Irving was limited to two points in the first half but shot 10 of 13 from the floor after halftime and gave the Mavs their biggest lead at 106-82 with a flashy four-point play with 5:38 remaining.
Dallas broke a 52-52 halftime tie by outscoring Los Angeles 35-20 in the third quarter and were never seriously threatened thereafter.
P.J. Washington had 14 points with four 3s and Daniel Gafford contributed 13 points with several emphatic baskets down low.
Magic survive Mitchell’s 50 to force Game 7
Paolo Banchero scored 10 of his 27 points in the fourth quarter and the Orlando Magic overcame Donovan Mitchell’s 50 points in a 103-96 victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers to force Game 7 in their Eastern Conference first-round series.
Banchero carried the Magic to their biggest win in years and hit a 3-pointer with 3:39 left to put Orlando ahead for good, 92-89.
Franz Wagner had 26 points and Jalen Suggs added 22 with six 3s for the Magic, who are seeking their first series win in 14 years.
Game 7 is Sunday in Cleveland, where the Cavs won Games 1, 2 and 5, compared to seven straight road playoff losses dating to a LeBron James-led Game 7 victory at Boston in the 2018 Eastern Conference finals.
Mitchell scored all his team’s 18 points in the fourth quarter, including a pair of 3s. He fell one point shy of matching the franchise playoff scoring record set by James, who had 51 on May 31, 2018, against Golden State in the NBA Finals.
Darius Garland scored 21 points and Max Strus (10) was the only other Cav in double figures. Cleveland shot 7 of 28 from 3-point range and was outscored 22-5 from the free throw line.
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