Kyrie Irving Goes OFF for 57 points vs Spurs

13 Mar, 2015

Cleveland Cavaliers All-Star Kyrie Irving left his superstar teammate LeBron James in awe. His spectacular play overwhelmed the San Antonio Spurs.

The guard collected a career-high and NBA season-high 57 points and his fadeaway 3 sent the emotional game into overtime where Cleveland rallied for a 128-125 victory over the defending NBA champion San Antonio Spurs on Thursday night.

“The kid is special, we all know it, we all see it,” James said. “For him to go out and put on a performance like he did tonight was incredible.”

His 57 topped his own NBA-best 55-point game against Portland on Jan. 28. He scored nine points in the final minute of regulation to tie the game and added 11 more in overtime to snap San Antonio’s six-game winning streak.

“A few of those shots, it just left my hands and I kind of threw them up at the rim and I was lucky enough and blessed enough that they went in,” Irving said.

His point total was a Cavs record, too, topping James’ 56 against the Raptors in 2005.

James was back just in time from a one-game absence to be part of Irving’s stellar night in what everyone said was one of the best NBA games this season.

“It was such a fun game,” Irving said. “The crowd was into it. They sold out, they came to see a great game and it was. Once Bron gets into those step-back 3s, we were just looking at each other, `Man, this is just so much fun.’ “

Irving hit a 3-pointer in the face of heavy defense from Danny Green to pull Cleveland to 110-107 with 31 seconds remaining in regulation. After the Spurs’ Kawhi Leonard missed two free throws with 4.3 seconds left, Irving made his 3, falling to his right over Leonard to tie it at 110.

Irving made all seven of his 3-point attempts, was 20 of 32 from the field overall, and made 10 free throws without a miss.

James added 31 in his first game at the AT&T Center since being blown out in five games by San Antonio in the NBA Finals in his last games with the Miami Heat.

Tony Parker had 31 points for San Antonio and Leonard added 24 points.

Irving scored 11 points in overtime, including a crossover, fadeaway 3-pointer against Boris Diaw with 1:20 remaining to give Cleveland a 122-118 lead.

AP

Image AP Photo/Eric Gay

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