Nets: 3 highest single-game scoring performances in team history
By Mike Luciano
2. Kyrie Irving, 1/31/2020 vs. Bulls, 54 points
Irving is such a mercurial talent that even though he has only played in 27 games with the Nets, he owns three of the top 14 scoring performances in franchise history, including two separate 50-point performances. Not even a full year ago, Irving showed exactly how lethal he can be, as he completely eviscerated the Bulls, making 19 of his 23 shots, draining seven of his nine three-point attempts, and sinking nine of his 10 attempts from the foul line. That mark remains the most in a game since the Nets moved to Brooklyn.
Irving somehow managed to improve upon his fantastic opening night against the Minnesota Timberwolves, in which he put up 50 in his first game as a Net. While the 2019-20 Bulls played tissue-soft defense, that shouldn’t mask the fact that Irving showed that his mind-bending handles and sweet stroke from deep are capable of taking over a game single-handedly, and that ability to go supernova will serve Brooklyn well.
When Irving is healthy and in the lineup, he can and will stand out, even on a court that will feature Durant and Harden on it at the same time. While he might not have the ball in his hands as much, he should be able to make his mark by putting the ball in the basket and coming through in the clutch on a Nets team that is eyeing a ring.