Cleveland Cavaliers Extend Winning Streak to 8, Irving delivers with 55 points
Although Kyrie Irving might not be an All-Star starter this year, his performance against the Portland Trailblazers Wednesday night was definitely All-Star caliber.
Irving, who started off the game on a slow start going 0-for-7, found his rhythm, shooting 17-for-29 for the rest of the game. Irving ended the night with 55 points, leading the Cavaliers to their eighth straight win, beating the Trailblazers 99-94.
"I'm gracious that the shot went in and had the confidence of my teammates and coaching staff to go out there and make a big-time shot," Irving told reporters.
"I've seen a lot of great performances," Cavaliers coach David Blatt said. "But something quite like that? No. I have not seen that and I've been coaching a long time."
Blazers coach Terry Stots added, "It was a great performance. The great ones do that every once in a while."
Irving broke the franchise record by making 11 three pointers. His career-high 55 points currently leads the league in most points scored in a single game. However, he was one point shy of tying the Cavaliers' record of most points in a game. That record belongs to LeBron James, who scored 56 points in 2005 at Toronto.
James is currently out due to a wrist sprain that he sustained in Tuesday's game against the Detroit Pistons. His return date is unclear.
At the end of the game, James led a surprise celebration in the locker room where the team doused Irving with water and ice.
"This is his night," James said after declining to speak to reporters.
Watch highlights of Irving's performance here:
Irving is averaging 22.1 points with 5.2 assists in 38.1 minutes per game. In the past ten games, he averaged 25.7 points.
