Kyrie Irving made his best performance this season and led the Brooklyn Nets past the Charlotte Hornets (132-121).
The All-Star guard went for a season-high 50 points (15/19 shooting, 9/12 from beyond the arc) and six assists in 37 minutes on the floor.
His nine three-pointers tie the most 3-pointers by a Net this season and is the second-most in Irving’s career.
For their part, the Nets dominated the game from start to finish and cruised to an easy victory. They led by 26 at halftime (69-43) and never looked back, snapping a four-game losing streak.
Brooklyn improved to 33-33 in the standings and won for just the second time in the last eight games. Prior to their game vs the Hornets, the Nets had just won three of their last 20 games.
Both the @BrooklynNets and the @HoustonRockets are in free fall since late January #NBA https://t.co/73aCbya1gB — Hedge_out (@hedge_out) March 9, 2022
Aside from Kyrie Irving, four more players scored in double figures for the winners. The Nets are now heading to Philadelphia for the clash with the Sixers on Thursday.
This will be the first battle between the two East contenders following the blockbuster trade on February 10.
James Harden will face the Nets for the first time as an opponent. The same will happen with Brooklyn newcomers Seth Curry and Andre Drummond, who spent the first part of the season with the Sixers.
Ben Simmons will not play, due to a back injury, but will be on Brooklyn bench. Simmons will not receive a warm welcome from Sixers fans, but the Nets are not concerned about how he will handle the situation.
Philadelphia is second in the East (40-24) and have lost only twice in their last 10 games. They are also unbeaten with Harden on the floor (5-0).
A tough battle is expected at Wells Fargo Center, but Kyrie Irving and the Nets look ready to maintain their momentum vs a legit title contender.
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