“Putting my body on the line and doing whatever it takes to win,” Nets’ Kyrie Irving believes 50 points nightly isn’t an unrealistic expectation from him during Kevin Durant’s absence

Kyrie Irving of the Brooklyn Nets speaks on the expectations from him and the team in the absence of Kevin Durant.

“Putting my body on the line and doing whatever it takes to win,” Nets’ Kyrie Irving believes 50 points nightly isn’t an unrealistic expectation from him during Kevin Durant’s absence

Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant

The Brooklyn Nets dropped 4 straight games in the absence of their star player Kevin Durant. However, they snapped their losing streak against the Jazz beating them 117-106 on Friday night. The game saw Kyrie Irving in clutch and delivering one of his best performances this season. He ended the night with 48 points, 6 assists, and 11 rebounds. The Brooklyn Nets were given a much-needed victory over the Utah Jazz by Irving. This might very well be a turning moment for the Nets. They have received constant criticism for their inability to triumph without Kevin Durant.

One of the commentators who openly expressed their displeasure with Jacque Vaughn’s team was Kendrick Perkins. The ex-player-turned-analyst criticized them for their 4-game losing run following their most recent defeat to the Phoenix Suns. He had then said, “Kyrie Irving, without a superstar on his team, he has a below-average winning record. … Can you win regular season games for a short period of time as you being the leader and the go-to guy? And right now, the answer is no.”

However, after their victory against the Jazz, he went back on his words and congratulated Irving and Co to win without Durant. He said, “On the plane right now… but I see Kyrie put on a show tonight and finally led the Nets to their first win without KD!!!! Congratulations and Carry the hell on…”

Irving too recently spoke on the team without Durant. He said, “I don’t think [50 points nightly] is an unrealistic expectation. I have the trust from [coach] Jacque [Vaughn] to be able to make plays down the stretch. … We’ve been able to develop a dialogue that continues to grow game-to-game. So it gives me a lot of confidence in the fourth quarter to be able to perform that way.”

Related: “I need to get to the rim and get buckets,” Ben Simmons gives an honest analysis after going SCORELESS in Nets downfall to Celtics

Kyrie Irving and Co. hope to carry the form against the Warriors

Kyrie Irving and Ben Simmons
Kyrie Irving and Ben Simmons

In Durant’s absence, the Nets have won just one of their last five games. Before being hurt, KD was putting up MVP-caliber numbers. In fact, he was among the front-runners for this season’s MVP. However, the Nets have been missing possibly the league’s finest scorer since his injury. Kevin Durant is unique due to his exceptional size and quickness.

Kyrie Irving, though, is in charge of guiding the group to success in his place. In their remaining games, the Nets should be able to put up a strong fight if Kai can consistently play as he did against the Jazz. He scored 21 points on 8 of 11 attempts in the last frame against the Suns before defeating the Jazz on Friday with 48 points on 18 of 29 attempts. He will go up against the Warriors on Sunday in that shape.

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