An ultra-efficient 50-point showing courtesy of star guard Kyrie Irving has helped end a four-game losing streak for the Brooklyn Nets, as they toppled the Hornets 132-121 in Charlotte yesterday.
Irving’s 50-point, 6-assist outing was one of the more impressive displays of the season, with the 29-year-old becoming the 11th player this season to drop 50 in a game. His efficiency, however, was unmatched, with the seven-time All-Star hitting 15 of his 19 field goal attempts, including 9-from-12 from three and 11-from-13 on free throws. Adrian Dantley is the only player in NBA history to reach 50 points on fewer field goal attempts, doing so in 1980 and aided by an absurd 29 free throw attempts.
If not for Irving’s heroics, Brooklyn would have been staring down the barrel of a fifth-straight defeat; Andre Drummond put up 20 points and 14 rebounds, whilst Kevin Durant was held to just 14 points and 7 assists. For Charlotte, Terry Rozier and Miles Bridges each dropped 30, whilst LaMelo Ball had 24 points and 7 assists.
Brooklyn’s season has not gone to plan, with the preseason championship favourites currently sitting at eighth in the East at 33-33, well within the play-in picture. Durant has only recently returned from a sprained MCL, Irving has only been available for away games due to New York City’s vaccine mandates, and deadline acquisition Ben Simmons is yet to make his season debut. They have gone just 4-17 over their past 21 games and risk falling further if they are unable to keep players on the court.
Regardless, the teams above them will be hoping to avoid them in the early rounds of the playoffs. Any team with Durant is a threat and there is no shortage of talent surrounding him but, at this stage, availability is the biggest concern and there are no guarantees that they will see improvements on that front.
