Kyrie Irving makes first game-winning buzzer-beater of profession in Nets’ comeback win over Raptors

Kyrie Irving has been a polarizing participant over the course of his 12-year NBA profession, however his unbelievable one-on-one shot-making capability has by no means been up for debate. Irving displayed these distinctive abilities on the ultimate possession of the Brooklyn Nets‘ 119-116 win over the Toronto Raptors on Friday night time, flattening a game-winning, step-back 3-pointer as time expired.

With 3.7 seconds remaining and the sport tied at 116, the Nets had a easy aim: Get Irving remoted and let him go to work. Kevin Durant freed Irving up with a display as then the remainder of the Nets unfold the ground and watched as Irving drove towards the basket, stopped on a dime with a pull-back dribble, after which hit nothing however web on the game-winner.

“As soon as [Irving] received into his transfer and pulled up for a shot, it was a large open look. And he is an all-time nice shooter,” Durant mentioned after the sport. “I had confidence as quickly as he rose up for the shot that it was entering into. I am positive all people again in Brooklyn and all people on the bench felt the identical manner.”

Irving has made loads of clutch photographs, together with one of the most cold-blooded daggers in league history, his 3 within the closing minute of Sport 7 of the 2016 NBA Finals that propelled the Cleveland Cavaliers to the title. However his shot on Friday night time was the primary game-winning buzzer beater of his profession. It was additionally the first buzzer-beater for the Nets since Brook Lopez‘s in 2017.

Irving was sensible down the stretch after Brooklyn trailed by as many as 18 factors within the first half, scoring 15 of his team-high 32 factors within the fourth quarter on 7-for-9 capturing. He entered the sport averaging eight factors per recreation within the fourth quarter, tied with Milwaukee Bucks ahead Giannis Antetokounmpo for third within the NBA.

After a mediocre begin headlined by Irving’s promotion of a movie containing antisemitic materials and subsequent suspension, the Nets have been one of many league’s hottest groups of late. Friday’s win over the Raptors was their fifth straight, they usually’re now 9-1 of their final 10 video games. Throughout that stretch, Irving has averaged 26.2 factors, 5.1 assists and 5.1 rebounds on 50 % capturing from the sector.