Getty Kobe Bryant, Kyrie Irving and LeBron James
In his last outing against the Orlando Magic, Kyrie Irving eclipsed his career-high, dropping a whopping 60 points in a 150-108 win. But the number of points that Irving scored was not the most impressive part of his performance, but rather how efficiently he was able to reach that mark. He shot a scorching 20-31 from the field to go along with 6 rebounds, 4 assists, and 4 steals. Even Brooklyn Nets head coach Steve Nash, who is a two-time league MVP, was in awe of Irving’s performance.
“He’s just incredible. I felt like he had my career highlight reel in the first 12 minutes of the game,” Nash said of Irving’s performance after the win per NetsDaily. “It’s a pleasure to see it up close and be a part of it.”
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NBA Champ: Kyrie Irving ‘More Skilled’ Than Michael Jordan
Seeing Kyrie go off for 60, including a historic 41 points in the first half, earned him high praise from everyone around the league as he once again proved that he is one of the brightest young players in the NBA. However, NBA champion and current ESPN analyst Kendrick Perkins placed Irving in a particular elite group. The former Celtics big man says that Kyrie is a more skilled player than Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, and anyone else who is a usual suspect on that list.
“He is the most skilled player to ever play the game,” Perkins said during a recent taping of NBA Today via a tweet from @_Talkin_NBA. “And it is no disrespect to Michael Jordan. It is no disrespect to the late great Kobe Bryant. It is no disrespect to Olajuwon and a lot of others. But when you look at what Kyrie doing, how he does it. It’s not what he do, it’s how he do it.”
Kevin Durant Weighs in on the State of the NBA
Kyrie’s 60 point game is just the latest in a string of recent other-worldly performances by NBA stars. In just the last two weeks, Timberwolves star Karl Anthony-Towns also scored 60, Lakers star LeBron James scored 56, and Irving’s superstar teammate Kevin Durant scored 53. Durant says that this latest stretch of high-level performances just confirms that the NBA is in a great place right now as far as talent goes.
“60, the night after Karl-Towns had an incredible performance and then to have Kyrie to do it the next night, the league is in an amazing place right now,” Durant said of Irving’s performance per NetsDaily. “You’re seeing a lot of talent and skill being displayed every night. This was one of the elite ones.”
Spencer Dinwiddie Sounds off on His Game Winner
The Nets had their 4-game win streak snapped on Wednesday courtesy of a game-winning buzzer-beater by Dallas Mavericks guard Spencer Dinwiddie. For those who may be tardy to the party, the Nets had the opportunity to re-sign Dinwiddie last summer during the free agency period but ultimately decided to let him walk. Dinwiddie talked about what it meant to stick it to his former team after the win.
“It’s different than the Detroit ones,” said Dinwiddie of the comparison between revenge games vs. the Pistons who drafted him, and the Nets per NetsDaily. “I wanted those bad because my time in Detroit wasn’t fun, this was just fun. It feels good. There are a lot of positive vibes here. It’s like sticking it to your cousin vs. being vengeful for an enemy.”
Spencer Dinwiddie on his buzzer-beater vs. the Nets at Barclays Center:
“It’s like sticking it to your cousin vs. being vengeful for an enemy”
The Nets will have an opportunity to continue their strong finish to the season in their next game against the Portland Trail Blazers.
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Kyrie Irving More Skilled Than Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant Says NBA Champ