Celtics' Kyrie Irving nets season-high, trash talks fans

Nov. 6 (UPI) -- Boston Celtics star Kyrie Irving tied a season-high with 31 points against the Denver Nuggets, while getting in some trash talk aimed at fans.

"Uncle Drew" led his team in scoring, but Nuggets guard Jamaal Murray stole the show with a career-best 48 points in Denver's 115-107 victory on Monday at Pepsi Center in Denver.

Irving got in the crowd jabs in the fourth quarter after splashing in a fadeaway 3-pointer while being defended by Murray in the right corner. After making the shot, Irving put his finger over his mouth in a silencing gesture.

He then pulled his finger away, while pointing and shouting at a select few Nuggets fans. He also mouthed an expletive at the group before returning his focus to the game.

Irving's frustrations boiled over at the end of the game, when Murray shot a late 3-pointer when the game was already decided. Irving took the basketball and chucked it into the crowd.

"The ball deserves to go into the crowd after a bull [expletive] move like that," Irving told reporters. "So I threw it in the crowd."

Irving is averaging 19.2 points, 5.3 assists and 4.8 rebounds per game this season. The Celtics face the Phoenix Suns at 9 p.m. on Thursday at Talking Stick Resort Arena in Phoenix.