Irving equalized in less than 24 hours in the NBA’s single-game season after Carl-Anthony Towns made an impression.
One night after Minnesota’s Carl-Anthony Towns set a high score with 60 points against Spurs in a single-game season, Kiri Irving equalized with his own 60 pieces in Brooklyn’s 150-108 victory over Magic on Tuesday.
Like the Towns, Irving needed just 31 shots for his 60 points. He made 20 of those shots, including 8 of 12 of 3. He dropped 12 of 13 from the free-throw line. He did it all in 35 minutes.
60 points is the record of the Brooklyn Net franchise, which broke the previous 57 points of Darren Williams. Also, 57 was the culmination of Irving’s previous career, which he set in 2015 against San Antonio. Kiri exploded a week after scoring 50 in the victory over the Hornets.
Irving’s night started with what has laid a wild score double across the late NBA. In the last two weeks, there have been six games with at least 50 points: Irving (50, 60), LeBron James (50, 56), Jason Tatum (54) and Kevin Durant (53). Stephen Curry scored 47, Trey Young 47 and 46, Jordan Clarkson 45, Josh Hart and D’Aron Fox 44 (who also had 41), Giannis Antettoconpo and Joel Embed 43, Darius 41. 40 for Mala and Nikola Jokic.
Irving scored 41 of his 60 in the first half, the highest single-half output in the league this season. Irving scored 16 points in the first quarter, 25 points in the second quarter, 10 points in the third quarter and nine points in the fourth quarter. Irving and KD became the first teammates to post several 50-point games in the same season, after Elgin Baylor and Jerry West, with another 51-piece against the Pistons between Durant’s 53 on Sunday and December.
The Nets were playing at the back end, but don’t worry about getting out of the coyote. Still, he can’t play at home in Dallas on Wednesday. In fact, he can’t play in Brooklyn’s next three games, which means he won’t be fit again for almost two weeks.
