Kyrie Irving sets Nets record with 60 points in win over Magic
Published: March 15, 2021 US time
Publisher: The New York Post
Article author: Brian Lewis
Article translated by de Gaulle
Kerry Owen has shown his outstanding offensive ability on many nights. The away match with the Magic on March 15, local time, is undoubtedly his most outstanding personal attack so far. In this game, Irving scored an amazing 60 points, not only equaling the personal scoring record set by Timberwolves player Towns the day before, but also breaking the personal scoring record of Irving himself and the Nets.
"When you're a kid, when you can get a lot of points in a game, it definitely means a lot," Irving said after the game with the Magic, "but when you get into the best league in the world, when you're facing the best players, doing something like that again, it means even more to you." This team and my teammates around me, they really give me a lot of energy. At the moment, I can only play away from home, so I'd better use my energy in the few games I have. ”
As Owen himself described, because of New York City's epidemic prevention policy, although he has been allowed to enter the Barclays Center, the home of the Nets, he still cannot play. Before the game against the Magic, the Nets had just been fined $50,000 by the league for the previous home game, and after the game, they let Irving into the team's locker room, which violated the league's epidemic prevention policy.
It is not known whether the league's fine gave Irving extra motivation. Or maybe the Nets have only five away games left, making Irving realize that he doesn't have too many opportunities to perform. In short, after following the team to the Amway Center in Orlando, Irving has always maintained a "fighting state". And his outstanding performance in this game has turned the fans of the home team against him. The 15,282 fans on the scene often chanted "Kerry! Kerry! " slogan.
Irving's performance, as well as the feedback from the fans on the spot, prove that although Irving, who can only play away at present, is a so-called "part-time player", his performance on the field is a real "full-time master". In the battle against the Magic, Irving shot 20 of 31 from the field, including 8 of 12 from outside the three-point line, and she also made 12 of 13 free throws. With 41 points in the first half, Irving continued to firepower in the second half, and finally completed the NBA's second single-game 60-point performance of the season.
"His performance was really outstanding, and I even had a feeling that he had all the best shots of my playing time on the court in the first 12 minutes of this game," Nets coach Nash said after the game, "He showed his complete control and command of the team in this game, and it felt really special to see him perform like this, and it would also make people feel a joy from the heart." ”
Because Irving carried the offensive banner, Durant, who scored 53 points in the previous home defeat of the Knicks, also enjoyed a "lying win" feeling, and only got 19 points, 5 rebounds and 7 assists in the whole game, and he could "clock out" early. After winning this battle, the Nets have extended the pace of winning streak to 4 consecutive wins. The Nets improved their record to 36 wins and 33 losses, continuing to pursue the 7th Raptors in the East. Currently, the Nets are just 2.5 wins away from the Raptors.
In addition to the improvement of the team's performance, Irving and Durant have also created a new history in the NBA through the last two games. As mentioned earlier, Durant scored 53 points against the Knicks in the previous game, plus Irving's 60 points in this game, and the two Nets' big players became the first pair in NBA history, in two consecutive games, both playing 50+ points.
"Making history, and making history with my teammates, is really, really special," Owen said, "but I'm going to take credit to our team." We are such a close-knit collective, and every player in our dressing room trusts us and fights with us. We've never doubted that we can accomplish something big, not just this year, but for a long time to come. ”
In fact, Euphon has the opportunity to impact higher individual scores. But by the time he still had 8:32 to shoot a three-pointer in the fourth quarter, hitting his personal 60-point set, the Nets were already leading by a margin of 131-94. As an absolute main force, Irving no longer needs to stay on the court. After the Magic called out a timeout, the Nets took the opportunity to replace Irving.
Owen also knew exactly what kind of history he had created, and when he came off the field, he patted the position of his heart and then pointed to the sky. Amid the Cheers of the Magic home fans shouting "Carey," Irving walked to the sidelines and gave coach Nash a big hug. "I'm really grateful that I've had the opportunity to play like this now," Irving said after the game, "and if the experience of missing so many games this season has taught me anything, I think it's not to take anything in my life for granted." ”
However, the better Irving performs on the road now, it may create a bigger gap behind them. After the game against the Magic, the Nets will return to the home court, facing three Western opponents in a row: the Lone Ranger, the Blazers and the Jazz. Under the current circumstances, Irving is still unable to play at home, nor can he continue to show his fierce offensive firepower on the court.
"I know it's going to be annoying to my teammates and it's going to be annoying to people on this team, but I hope we can all come together more closely and work together to deal with this," Owen said. All we can do is be here every day with the idea that we have made our own sacrifices to get to where we are today. ”