Kyrie Irving sets Mavericks record for most points in an All-Star game

The 2023 NBA All-Star game wasn’t too eventful, thanks to Team Giannis having built an insurmountable lead through three quarters, making the fourth mostly a formality. However there was something to watch for Mavericks fans, and that was newly acquired Kyrie Irving scoring the most points ever by a Mavericks player in the All-Star Game.

Irving scored 32 points, besting Rolando Blackman’s 29 points from the 1987 All-Star game. The closest any Maverick has come to beating Blackman’s mark before Irving was of course, Dirk Nowitzki. Dirk scored 22 in the 2010 All-Star Game, although Dirk’s style wasn’t really a fit for the “dunks and threes” tempo these All-Star games get played at.

“Dirk wasn’t getting enough shots,” Irving said after the game, poking fun at a record that he assumed didn’t have much of a high-bar to clear.

Irving did most of his damage, like most All-Stars Sunday night, by going into an unprotected paint and scoring at will at the rim. Irving was 10-of-13 on twos and 4-of-8 on three pointers.

Not only did Irving score 32, but he had 15 assists as well. It’s easily the most stats any Maverick has accumulated in a single All-Star game, as Blackman had four rebounds and one assist in his 29 point game in 1987.

Mavericks fans will get to see Irving and Luka Doncic back in games that actually count on Thursday against the Spurs.