Kyrie Irving had a dominant offensive performance when his Brooklyn Nets met the Charlotte Hornets on Tuesday night.
Most importantly for Irving and the Nets, they won 132-121. The two teams had matching 32-33 records going into the game. With the win, Brooklyn now has sole possession of the No. 8 seed in the Eastern Conference.
And to say Irving deserves a lot of credit for that win would be an understatement. He lit up the scoreboard, tallying 50 points. And it wasn’t just a high-volume shooting night, either. Irving was brutally efficient, going 15-f0r-19 from the field, 11-for-13 on free throws, and 9-for-12 on three-pointers.
5️⃣0️⃣ pic.twitter.com/oAFW9l6OCr
— Brooklyn Nets (@BrooklynNets) March 9, 2022
Kyrie Irving tonight:
50 Points
6 Assists
3 Rebounds
79 FG%
75 3P%
85 FT%Art 🎨 pic.twitter.com/wBsIoQSGLQ
— Brooklyn Netcast (@BrooklynNetcast) March 9, 2022
Kyrie’s got 50 points on like 80 percent shooting. Unbelievable.
— Alex Schiffer (@Alex__Schiffer) March 9, 2022
If the performance felt unbelievable, there’s a reason for that. Prior to Tuesday night, such a game had never happened before.
Kyrie Irving tonight:
50 points
15-19 FG (78%)
9-12 3-pt FGHe is the first player in NBA history to record 50 points, 9 3-pointers and 75% shooting in a game.
— Matt Williams (@StatsWilliams) March 9, 2022
Inevitably, Irving’s performance had NBA fans buzzing.
Kyrie Irving could be saving the Nets season right now
— Cody Mallory (@RealCodyMallory) March 9, 2022
KYRIE IRVING WILL NOT LET THE NETS LOSE
— Cody Mallory (@RealCodyMallory) March 9, 2022
KYRIE IRVING IS ON FIRE
— Brooklyn Netcast (@BrooklynNetcast) March 9, 2022
Kyrie Irving Haters deleting their tweets right now 😂😂 #Netsworld pic.twitter.com/vVtfZ41mRZ
— NetsKingdom 👑🗽 (@NetsKingdomAJ) March 9, 2022
Some kid is at his first NBA game and thinks Kyrie is the best player in the world, KD is a hot head NBA journeyman forward lol
— BKN 85 (@brooklynnets85) March 9, 2022
This is what happens when Kyrie Irving plays like Kyrie Irving.
— Kristian Winfield (@Krisplashed) March 9, 2022
Furthermore, Irving added to his own Nets record of 50-point performances.
Kyrie Irving tonight:
50 PTS
6 AST
15-19 FG
9-12 3PKyrie’s 3rd 50 piece as a Net, no other Net has more than 1. pic.twitter.com/jZ5NBrtmMr
— StatMuse (@statmuse) March 9, 2022
This season has been drama-filled for the Nets and Irving. And to be fair, much of that drama has been self-inflicted. But there’s very little doubt that when he plays, Irving has a nearly unrivaled set of offensive skills. And when he goes off, he can carry a team.
If anyone had forgotten that, Tuesday night’s performance in Charlotte was a reminder.
