Duke basketball: Kyrie Irving, Michael Jordan stand alone on list
By Matt Giles
A Duke basketball product has produced a historically efficient 50 burger.
Per StatMuse, Michael Jordan was the only guard in NBA history with multiple 50-point outings while shooting at least 75 percent from the field. Now, Duke basketball alum Kyrie Irving is on that list after dropping a season-high 50 on Tuesday, with a 15-for-19 shooting clip, to propel the Brooklyn Nets (33-33) to a 132-121 road win over the Jordan-owned Charlotte Hornets (32-34).
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Irving, now averaging 26.2 points in his 11th season as a pro, finished the contest 9-for-12 from downtown and 11-for-13 from the charity stripe. The former No. 1 overall draft pick also chipped in six assists, three rebounds, one steal, and one block in 38 minutes of action.
Meanwhile, Irving’s former Blue Devil teammate and new fellow starter in the Brooklyn backcourt, Seth Curry, contributed nine points, three rebounds, one assist, and one steal across his 32 minutes on the floor.
More on the former Duke basketball one-and-done’s sizzling night
According to a tweet from Billy Reinhardt of Nets Daily, Kyrie Irving’s 19 field goal attempts against the Charlotte Hornets sit second only to Utah Jazz legend Adrian Dantley’s 17 for the fewest from anyone who has ever poured in 50-plus points in an NBA game.
Also, as StatMuse pointed out, the 29-year-old Irving has tallied at least 50 points for Brooklyn on three occasions, two more than any other player in franchise history. His highest game total as a Net remains his 54 points from January 2021; his career-high of 57 came in March 2015 as a member of the Cleveland Cavaliers and included a game-winning three at the buzzer.
Kyrie Irving, Seth Curry, and the Brooklyn Nets, now No. 8 in the Eastern Conference standings, remain away from home to face the Philadelphia 76ers (40-24) — Curry’s former squad — at 7:30 p.m. ET Thursday.
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