Kyrie Irving erupts for 48 points to push Nets past Jazz

Kyrie Irving dominated the fourth quarter and finished with a season-high 48 points and 11 rebounds to lift the Brooklyn Nets over the Utah Jazz, 117-106, in Salt Lake City on Friday, January 20 (Saturday, January 21, Manila time).

Irving broke a 102-102 tie with a three-pointer and he hit another in the final minutes to help the Nets snap a four-game losing streak.

Irving, who also had 6 assists and 4 steals, scored 21 points in the fourth after putting up the same number in the final quarter of Brooklyn’s Friday loss in Phoenix.

Brooklyn, which outscored Utah 15-4 in the final 3:01, had not won since Kevin Durant injured his knee against Miami nearly two weeks ago. The Nets improved to 1-2 on their five-game road trip out West.

Nic Claxton added 20 points and 4 blocked shots, former Jazz guard Royce O’Neale contributed 13 points, 6 assists, and 5 rebounds, and Seth Curry scored all 10 of his points in the fourth quarter for the Nets.

Jordan Clarkson led the Jazz with 29 points, while Lauri Markkanen totaled 22 points and 11 rebounds. Collin Sexton chipped in with 17 points off the bench.

The Jazz, who fell short in a bid to win a third consecutive game for the first time since early November, overcame an early 13-point deficit but were outscored 34-23 in the fourth quarter.

The game was tied at 92-92 before the Nets scored 7 straight, capped by an Irving three-pointer.

Utah responded with a 10-3 run to tie it up again at 102-102, but Irving and Curry then sizzled the nets from long range to boost Brooklyn in crunch time.

O’Neale sparked a 14-point run to catapult the Nets ahead 16-5. Utah used a 10-2 run to close the gap, and the Jazz chipped away at the lead until tying it up at 36-36 on a Clarkson bucket.

The Jazz held a 55-51 halftime lead. Both teams had runs in the third quarter, resulting in a tie score heading into the fourth quarter. – Rappler.com