NEW YORK – Kyrie Irving tied his season with 40 points Thursday night against the Boston Celtics, scoring his fifth game with 40 or more points since joining the Brooklyn Nets before the 2019-20 season. Only two players – Vince Carter and John Williamson – had more such games for the franchise.
After the Brooklyn Nets’ 121-109 victory over Boston, Irving hugged his former teammates before stepping off the floor.
“Big surprise for a lot of people,” Irving said jokingly. “All of this — I’m talking about myself and all the relationships I have with every former teammate of mine.”
Irving played for the Celtics from 2017 to 2019. The Nets guard scored 77 combined points against Boston this season. However, Irving said that facing his former team did not necessarily add extra fuel to his game, but that he expected to see the Celtics in the playoffs.
“I’m just waiting for the main stage,” Irving said. “He plays in front of millions of people and it really matters in terms of winning or losing or going home. I look forward to this, but mid-season games like this against guys you know well are always a blessing. “
Irving’s former teammate Marcus Smart called Irving’s performance “vintage Kyrie,” but added that the sharpeners around Irving made the Nets particularly difficult to guard. Landry Shamet had 18 points for Brooklyn off the bench, while Joe Harris added 12 points and Jeff Green finished with 11.
James Harden had 22 points and 10 rebounds for the Nets, who have now won 11 of the last 12 games. After the game, Harden said he could feel the team shake a little post-All-Star rust from the start, but Irving helped them win.
“It’s a different race,” Harden said of Irving. “He has a killer mentality in a sense, no matter who we play or where we play, he will go out there and try to destroy the opponent, and that would be something you would not want for your team at all. This mentality sets him apart from many guys in this league. “