MY ACCOUNT
Steve Nash joked Kyrie Irving produced more career highlights in the space of 12 minutes against the Orlando Magic than the Brooklyn Nets coach managed in his entire career.
Irving scored a career-high 60 points – the most for a Nets player in their NBA history – in Tuesday’s 150-108 victory in Florida.
The seven-time NBA All-Star shot 20 for 31, which included eight of 12 on 3-pointers, and made 12 of 13 free throws in his 35 minutes on the court.
Forty-one of Irving’s points came in the first half as he became the second Nets player over the past 25 years, after Deron Williams in March 2012, to have 40-plus points in a half.
It was an individual display that will long live in the memory, with Brooklyn coach Nash leading the tributes for the 29-year-old.
“He’s just incredible. I felt like he had my career highlight reel in the first 12 minutes of the game,” Nash said.
“It’s special to watch him every night – but it’s special to watch him on nights like this, where he’s in total control, total command.
“He gets wherever he wants and is able to finish amongst the trees. It’s just a pleasure to see it up close and to be a part of it.”
Irving’s 60-point display came a day after the Minnesota Timberwolves’ Karl-Anthony Towns also hit that mark against the San Antonio Spurs.
It marks the first time that two players have scored 60 points on successive nights in NBA since 1962.
There have now been seven 50-point games in the NBA in March, which is tied for the most in a single month since the NBA-ABA merger in 1976.
And Nets star Kevin Durant, who added 19 points in the win over Orlando, believes the division is now as strong as ever.
“The night after Karl Towns had an incredible performance, to then have Kyrie do it the next night, the league is in an incredible place right now,” Durant said.
“I’m sure in the first quarter you saw it developing. Sixteen in the first and then midway through the second all of us on the bench are still looking.
“It’s just like that every game for Ky, when you look up and, like, ‘Damn, he got 10, 12, 14 points already’.”
Durant scored 53 points in Sunday’s win over the New York Knicks, making him and Irving the first team-mates in NBA history with 50+ points in back-to-back games.
“Making history, man. making history,” Irving said when that stat was put to him. “Doing it with that guy is very special. But credit goes to our group.
“Our guys in our locker room, they really believe in us, they really rock with us, there’s not a doubt in our mind that they really believe that we can do something special.
“And not just this year, but for years to come. We have a good group. And we’re all sacrificing something that’s bigger than ourselves.”
He added: “When you’re a kid scoring a bunch of points, it means something. When you’re in the best league in the world doing it against the greatest, it means a little bit more.”
There have been 2 players in NBA history to score 60+ points while shooting at least 60.0% from the field, 60.0% from three and 90.0% from the line in a game.
The first was Karl-Anthony Towns yesterday.
The second was Kyrie Irving today.
The Nets have now won four games in a row to improve to 36-33 for the season, placing them eighth in the Eastern Conference.
Irving will not play against the Dallas Mavericks on Wednesday due to New York City’s mandate requiring vaccination against COVID-19, though he intends to be in attendance.
“I’ll probably wear a media pass,” he joked. “It’s a little awkwardness.
“But I’ll show up there with my family and get a warm embrace from New York, Brooklyn, everybody that’s there to support the Nets and support our organisation, support me.”
