Kyrie Irving’s first game with the Brooklyn Nets will go down in the history books despite the fact that it came in a losing effort.
Let’s address the elephant in the room: Yes, the Brooklyn Nets lost on Wednesday to the Minnesota Timberwolves. However, that doesn’t diminish Kyrie Irving‘s ridiculous 50-point debut in the Barclays Center.
The superstar point guard was operating on another plane of existence for most of the game, helping the Nets climb back from an 18-point deficit.
Every basket from Kyrie Irving’s ridiculous 50-point performance. #WeGoHard pic.twitter.com/xGJI0hXPTp
— ESNY (@EliteSportsNY) October 24, 2019
Irving finished the game shooting 17-for-33 from the floor and 7-for-14 from distance. For good measure, the All-NBA point guard added eight rebounds and seven assists without a single turnover.
Irving is the first player in NBA history to post a stat line with 50 points, eight rebounds, seven assists, and zero turnovers in history according to NBA Stats. Additionally, Irving set a new record for most points in a debut with a new team. Prior to Irving’s explosion, Kiki Vandeweghe held the record with a 47-point outburst with the Portland Trail Blazers in 1984.
One of the few blemishes on Irving’s tremendous debut came in the final seconds of the game. Down one with seconds remaining, Irving stumbled and nearly lost the ball before missing a fadeaway jumper that would have won the game.
Nets lose 127-126 pic.twitter.com/j7GJHOpNi0
— Talkin’ Nets (@TalkinNets) October 24, 2019
The decision to run the clock all the way down was strange, but it makes sense why head coach Kenny Atkinson wanted the ball in Irving’s hands. Even after it looked like the play was doomed for disaster, Irving gave the Nets a chance to win.
It wasn’t the result the Nets wanted, but Brooklyn fans can rest easy knowing Kyrie Irving is a bonafide stud.
