For the second time in two nights, one of the NBA’s 30 single-game team scoring records has fallen.
Twenty-four hours after Minnesota’s Karl-Anthony Towns went off for 60 points in San Antonio, Brooklyn’s Kyrie Irving matched him with a 60-spot of his own in Orlando, surpassing the previous franchise mark of 57 set by Deron Williams on March 4, 2012.
Irving’s outburst — also a career high — came just two games after he poured in 50 on a ridiculous 19 shots against Charlotte. He wasn’t quite as efficient against the Magic, but not by much. Averaging nearly two points per attempt, Irving shot 20-for-31 from the floor, including 8-for-12 on 3-pointers, and was nearly perfect at the foul line (12-for-13).
As those free-throw attempts would attest, Irving attacked the rim with his usual aplomb, hitting at least one hanging, spinning layup that seemed to defy the laws of physics. But with 13 of his 20 makes coming from outside the paint, the degree of difficulty was almost as impressive as his final total.
“When you can get 60 in the flow of the game and you’re not putting up too many bad shots and guys are supporting you, telling you to go after the record, that makes basketball well worth it,” said Irving, whose previous career high had been 57 points with the Cavaliers against San Antonio in 2015. “The ball was hopping, Steve (Nash) was calling my number, and I was getting into the paint doing what I do.”
“The night after Karl Towns had an incredible performance, and then to have Kyrie do it the next night, the league is in an amazing place right now,” Nets teammate Kevin Durant said. “We’re seeing a lot of talent displayed every night, and this was one of the elite ones.”
Irving and Durant made history, becoming the first teammates in NBA history to post 50-point performances in consecutive games.
The stage for Irving’s record night was set in the first half, when Kyrie scored a staggering 41 points — the same total as Wilt Chamberlain during his record 100-point night in 1962. It was the most by an NBA player in the first two quarters since Kobe Bryant had 42 against Washington on March 28, 2003. Additionally, his 41 points in the first half are the most in any half of an NBA game since Devin Booker scored 51 in his 70-point game in 2017.
As the game wore on and the points piled up, the Magic began to abandon any sound defensive scheme, instead aggressively double-teaming Irving in the hopes of forcing the ball out of his hands.
It didn’t work. Although Irving finished with “only” 19 in the second half, he also played just 12 minutes as the Nets ran away for a 42-point blowout. Magic fans responded in kind, treating Irving — not exactly the NBA’s most popular player given his ongoing COVID-19 vaccine saga — to multiple standing ovations in appreciation of his record-setting display of skill.
“A few shots I probably shouldn’t have taken. Tough ones, with double-teams and triple-teams coming,” he said. “But as long as I can do it with a smile on my face and my teammates weren’t too angry with me, it was worthwhile.”
Kyrie Irving had 60 PTS on 20-31 FG for the Brooklyn Nets in their win over the Orlando Magic, setting the Nets’ franchise record for points in a game. Kyrie Irving holds at least a share of both the Nets single-game scoring record and Cleveland Cavaliers record (shares with LeBron James). Kyrie, LeBron and Wilt Chamberlain are the only 3 players to hold the single-game scoring record for multiple franchises. ✔️Subscribe to ESPN+ http://espnplus.com/youtube ✔️ Get the ESPN App: http://www.espn.com/espn/apps/espn ✔️Subscribe to ESPN on YouTube: http://es.pn/SUBSCRIBEtoYOUTUBE ✔️ Subscribe to NBA on ESPN on YouTube: http://bit.ly/SUBSCRIBEtoNBAonESPN ✔️ Watch ESPN on YouTube TV: http://es.pn/YouTubeTV
