One night after Minnesota's Karl-Anthony Towns set this season's single-game scoring high with 60 points against the Spurs, Kyrie Irving matched him with his own 60 piece in Brooklyn's 150-108 victory over the Magic on Tuesday.
Just like Towns, Irving only needed 31 shots for his 60 points. He made 20 of those shots, including 8 of 12 from 3. He sunk 12 of 13 from the free-throw line. He did it all in 35 minutes.
The 60 points is a Brooklyn Nets franchise record, breaking Deron Williams' previous mark of 57. As it happens, 57 was also Irving's previous career high, which he set in 2015 against San Antonio. Kyrie's explosion comes exactly one week after he went for 50 in a win over the Hornets.
Irving's night continues what has been a wild scoring binge across the NBA of late. Over the past two weeks alone, there have been six games of at least 50 points: Irving (50, 60), LeBron James (50, 56) Jayson Tatum (54) and Kevin Durant (53). Add to that a 47 for Stephen Curry, a 47 and 46 for Trae Young, 45 for Jordan Clarkson, 44 for Josh Hart and De'Aaron Fox (who also had a 41), 43 for Giannis Antetokounmpo and Joel Embiid, 41 for Darius Garland and 40 for Nikola Jokic.
Irving scored 41 of his 60 in the first half, the highest single-half output in the league this season. Irving scored 16 in the first quarter, 25 in the second quarter, 10 in the third quarter and nine in the fourth. With Durant's 53 on Sunday and another 51-piece against the Pistons back in mid December, Irving and KD become the first teammates to post multiple 50-point games in the same season since Elgin Baylor and Jerry West.
Last night, Karl-Anthony Towns scored 60 points; tonight Kyrie Irving did the same.
— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) March 16, 2022
It's the first time since 1962 that there have been 60-point games on consecutive days.
That 1962 instance was Wilt Chamberlain doing it by himself. pic.twitter.com/gTpZsyEfWw
The Nets were playing on the front end of a back to back, but don't worry about Kyrie wearing himself out. He can't play at home vs. Dallas on Wednesday anyway. In fact, he can't play in Brooklyn's next three games, meaning he won't suit up again for almost two weeks.
