Kyrie Irving Puts up 50 Points to Help Nets Snap Four-Game Skid With Win Over Hornets

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — It was written all over Kyrie Irving’s face, clear in his countenance. The Nets had a must-win game, and he delivered a master class.

Irving carried Brooklyn to a much-needed 132-121 win, doing it with a performance so spectacular he had not just Nets fans but some Hornets fans among the 17,230 at Spectrum Center cheering.

The All-Star guard poured in a season-high 50 points. He helped spot Brooklyn to a 34-point cushion, and did it with such efficiency it actually looked easy.

“It felt like a must-win night,” Irving said. “And I’m not saying that the other nights didn’t feel like that, but you’ve just gotta go into that deep place where you aren’t distracted by anything that’s going on and there’s a goal at hand when you step out there. I just get less talkative and I have a look on my face where I’ll do what’s needed for us to get this win and join a collective group and just sacrifice.”

His teammates could see that look, and they knew it spelled trouble — for Charlotte. After Irving had played below his standards in Sunday’s loss at Boston — as the Celtics fans chanted “Kyrie sucks!” and booed his every touch — he bounced back brilliantly to break Brooklyn’s four-game skid.

It was impressive enough even Kevin Durant, who had a quiet 14 points, could only clap in appreciation.

“Everything he does is pure. It looked so easy,” Durant said. “I [saw] it in his eyes to start the game. You know he wanted to play better last game, so he came out here and wanted to impact the game from the start. He led us all night, he hit big shots when we needed to. And it was just incredible, incredible performance. … That was just a master class.”

Irving shot 15 of 19 overall and 9 of 12 from deep, historic efficiency.

It’s tied for the second-fewest shots in a 50-point game behind Adrian Dantley’s 17 in 1980. And it was Irving’s second 50-point night on 75 percent shooting. The only men who’ve done it more? Wilt Chamberlain (eight times) and Michael Jordan (three).

“He’s incredible. It’s a career highlight reel every night. We obviously have a special player on our hands,” Steve Nash said.

“Just as a professional in this game, there are plenty of positions where we have to respond.” Irving said. “Obviously I didn’t play my best game in Boston. I was quoted the other day saying I was real emotional, and every time I step foot in there, it just is what it is. I’m human. We just wanted to have a fresh start.

“I wasn’t trying to go out there and get 50, it just ended up happening and the energy and the flow of the game allowed it to happen. That makes for some special team wins.”

This one will be special because of how vital it was for play-in positioning.

Brooklyn moved into eighth in the East, a game ahead of the Hornets and Hawks.

Andre Drummond had a season-high 20 points and 14 rebounds, as Brooklyn led by as much as 34.

The Nets looked as cohesive early on as they have at any point this season. They had their second-highest scoring output of the season, handed out 33 assists (two shy of their season-high) and hit 18 of 35 from deep.

That’s their best performance from behind the arc since Joe Harris got hurt.

The Nets led 69-43 after a first half that saw them hold the Hornets to 3 of 17 from 3.

Bruce Brown (14 points, eight rebounds, five assists) made a running layup to pad the cushion to 79-45 with 9:52 left in the third. Then the Nets took their foot off the gas.

Miles Bridges and Terry Rozier had 30 each for the Hornets, who never got closer than the final margin.

“We know we’re fighting for our lives every game to try to get in the playoffs, stay in the play-in,” Durant said. “We know how important every game is, so it’s good to get a ‘W.’ ”

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