Getty Kyrie Irving #11 of the Brooklyn Nets celebrates a play.
For the second game in a row, Brooklyn Nets (28-17) star guard Kyrie Irving went off in the fourth quarter, a period that he calls “winning time”. It did not lead to a win against the Phoenix Suns despite a furious comeback.
Against the Utah Jazz, however, Irving’s late-game heroics led to a 117-106 win for the Nets, snapping their four-game losing streak in the wake of Kevin Durant’s injury.
Irving dropped a season-best 48 points with 21 of those points coming in “winning time”.
The points match Irving’s output against the Suns – albeit with a far more favorable result from Brooklyn’s perspective helping them maintain a slim one-game lead over the Cleveland Cavaliers for fourth in the Eastern Conference standings. The effort also lends a fair amount of credence to the bold claim Irving made during his postgame availability.
Kyrie Irving Expects Big Games
“I don’t think it’s an unrealistic expectation but go ahead,” Irving said when presented with the idea of him scoring nearly 50 points possibly carrying over. He was joking but the seven-time All-Star and three-time All-NBA selection is certainly capable.
Irving has 13 career games of 45 or more points, though this was the first of this season. His previous season high was 39 points scored in a 129-125 loss to the Dallas Mavericks back in October.
Still, he scored at least 50 points in six of those games putting him among some fairly lofty company.
| Rk | Player | Count |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | James Harden | 23 |
| 2 | Damian Lillard | 13 |
| 3 | Stephen Curry | 11 |
| 4 | Kevin Durant | 9 |
| 5 | Kyrie Irving | 6 |
| 6 | LeBron James | 5 |
| 7 | Anthony Davis | 5 |
| 8 | Russell Westbrook | 5 |
| 9 | Devin Booker | 5 |
| 10 | Jayson Tatum | 5 |
Irving, while happy he wasn’t struggling with efficiency on the night (62.1% FG, 7-of-10 in the fourth quarter), wasn’t hanging his hat solely on his offensive efforts. He also snagged 11 boards, had six assists, and notched four steals while drawing two of the three charges Brooklyn absorbed on the night.
“It’s one heck of a thing when you can be one of the great scorers and, obviously, you play well on the offensive end. But when I can get it going on the defensive end doing the little things it really really gets things going for me and I’m dialed in so it felt good tonight.”
Irving was called out by former player-turned-analyst Kendrick Perkins of ESPN who said the mercurial guard needed to step up in the absence of Durant.
“Kyrie Irving, without a superstar on his team, he has a below-average winning record. … Can you win regular season games for a short period of time as you being the leader and the go-to guy? And right now, the answer is no.”
Perkins made sure to give Irving his credit in the aftermath of the Nets’ win.
“On the plane right now,” tweeted Perkins, “but I see Kyrie put on a show tonight and finally led the Nets to their first win without KD!!!! Congratulations and Carry the hell on.”
Brooklyn Bucking The Trend
Brooklyn notably went 8-19 without Durant last season losing 11 straight at one point. Needless to say, their inauspicious run once the “Easy Money Sniper” went down harkened back to that downtrodden stretch. The Nets can at least put that concern out of their minds for now.
But Durant is still wearing a brace and only set to be reevaluated in the coming week with no concrete return date as of yet.
How will they maintain this path and not one riddled with losses?
“It’s just about doing the little things. Guys diving on the floor, taking charges that makes a world of difference for our team. And just our preparation. Just keep hammering home on these times that we get together as a team and we need to come back and settle in.“
This wasn’t just a message to the team, though Irving did note how “proud” he was of his teammates amid mounting losses and pressure.
Kyrie Irving’s Leadership Fuels Nets’ Growth
Irving repeadted put the onus on himself to “lead from the front” in his walk-off interview and his postgame press conference.
“Just getting out of my own way and really thinking team-first and putting my body on the line and then leading by example,” Irving said. “Every night I try to put myself in that place, in that zone. Specifically in the fourth quarter when it’s winning time. But I just think, the way we started off the game, it really made a difference tonight. And then, the way we finished, I really felt like we grew as a squad.”
A 48-point masterclass.
Irving and the Nets are back in action on January 22 against Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors.