March 16 (UPI) -- All-Star guard Kyrie Irving scored a franchise-record 60 points, with 41 in the first half, to lead the Brooklyn Nets to a dominant win over the Orlando Magic.
Irving made 20 of 31 shots and eight 3-pointers for his career-high total in the 150-108 triumph Tuesday at Amway Center in Orlando, Fla. He also made 12 of 13 free throw attempts and chipped in six rebounds, four assists and four steals.
"I'm just grateful it came in the flow of the game," Irving told reporters. "There were a few shots I probably should have taken though, ones with double and triple teams.
"But as long as I did it with a smile on my face and my teammates weren't too angry at me, it made this night worthwhile."
Nets forward Kevin Durant scored 19 points in the win. The Nets made 60.2% of their shots from the field and 16 of 27 of their 3-point attempts.
The Nets, who never trailed, led by as many as 44 points. They outscored the Magic 54-36 in the paint, 12-6 off fast breaks and 51-41 off the bench.
Irving poured in 16 in the first quarter and the Nets used an 18-3 run to earn a 48-30 edge through the first 12 minutes. The All-Star guard then caught fire even more in the second, making 8 of 11 shots and seven free throws for 25 points in the quarter. The Nets led 86-56 at the break.
Irving chipped in another 10 points in the third, but the Magic outscored the Nets 33-30 in the frame. Irving scored his final nine points in just 3:28 fourth quarter minutes.
Irving's career night matched an impressive performance from just the night before, when Minnesota Timberwolves big man Karl-Anthony Towns was the first NBA player to log the season-high, 60-point total.
"The night after Karl Towns had an incredible performance, and then to have Kyrie do it the next night, the league is in an amazing place right now,'' Durant said. ''We're seeing a lot of talent displayed every night, and this was one of the elite ones.''
Irving's 41 first-half points were the most since Kobe Bryant scored 42 through two quarters in 2003 for the Los Angeles Lakers.
The Nets (36-33) host the Dallas Mavericks (42-26) at 7:30 p.m. EDT Wednesday at Barclays Center in Brooklyn. The Magic (18-52) host the Detroit Pistons (18-51) at 7 p.m. Thursday at Amway Center.
