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Kyrie: Clear mask not ideal, but superior to black

Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports / Action Images

In a perfect world, Kyrie Irving wouldn't be forced to don a protective mask during NBA games. With his facial fracture, though, it's safety first for the Boston Celtics guard.

While many believed he would again wear the black mask he used during his second season with the Cleveland Cavaliers, Irving chose to rock a clear mask instead on Tuesday, saying it would have less of a hindrance on his performance.

"I was telling some of my teammates, some of the fans, too, they were asking me whether I was going to wear the black mask. The difference with the black mask is that (teammates are) not getting the ball, because I couldn't see outside of my (direct) eyesight," Irving said following his team's 109-102 victory over the Brooklyn Nets, according to ESPN's Chris Forsberg.

"(Teammates were) like, 'Oh, the Masked Man! The Black Mask!' I scored that many (points for Cleveland) because I was just looking at the basket. So a lot of my peripheral vision and driving, I could only see what's in front of me. That black mask, like, it just takes away your vision. So I'm just like, 'Oh, see basket.' Like, this is just the best-case scenario. So that's the whole black mask thing."

Irving had a game-high 25 points on 8-of-20 shooting and five assists in 29 minutes against the Nets, helping extend Boston's winning streak to an impressive 13 games. Despite his strong showing, he admitted even the clear mask affected his peripheral vision.

His own teammate, Aron Baynes, inadvertently elbowed him in the face last Friday going up for a block against the Charlotte Hornets, resulting in the fracture.

The red-hot Celtics host the reigning champion Golden State Warriors on Thursday.

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