Around the Association: Kyrie Goes For 50, Garland Erupts, Suns Survive

This article is part of our NBA Daily Recap series.

Welcome to Around the Association! Four days per week (Monday through Thursday), this article will serve as a comprehensive recap of the previous night's NBA action, taking you through all of the biggest performances, notable box scores, injury updates and any other fantasy-relevant headlines from around the league.

Here is all you need to know from a wild Tuesday night:

Nightly Notables

Irving goes off for 50

• Kyrie Irving was unguardable, as he carried the Nets to a 132-121 road win over the Hornets. The playmaking shot-creator finished with a season-high 50 points (15-19 FG, 9-12 3Pt, 11-13 FT), three rebounds, six assists, one steal and one block over 37 minutes of play. While he is still playing just road games, Irving does rank as the sixth overall nine-category fantasy option on a per-game basis this season.
  • Kevin Durant was uncharacteristically quiet on the offensive end as he let Irving do most of the scoring damage. The forward finished just two points shy of his season-low with 14 points (6-13 FG, 1-3 3Pt, 1-1 FT), three rebounds and seven assists across 39 minutes. Better days are certainly ahead for the former MVP.
  • Andre Drummond: 20 points (7-13 FG, 6-10 FT) 14 rebounds, two assists, one steal and two blocks over 24 minutes.
• Terry Rozier was impressive in the loss, doing a little bit of everything for Charlotte. The Louisville product finished with 30 points (10-19 FG, 5-11 3Pt, 5-5 FT), eight rebounds, four assists, three steals and one block over 37 minutes of action. Rozier has been hot as of late, averaging 29.3 points, 6.7 rebounds and 5.7 assists per game over his last three showings.
  • Miles Bridges matched Rozier with 30 points (11-19 FG, 3-9 3Pt, 5-6 FT) to go with three rebounds, three assists and one steal over 39 minutes of action. This was Bridges' first 30-point outing in his last 21 appearances.
  • LaMelo Ball: 24 points (9-22 FG, 2-8 3Pt, 4-5 FT), five rebounds, seven assists and two steals over 30 minutes. 

Garland leads Cavs over Indy

• The Cavaliers and Pacers took part in a battle in Indiana which ended with Cleveland walking away with a 127-124 win. Darius Garland shined in the victory, totaling a career-high 41 points (14-26 FG, 4-9 3Pt, 9-9 FT), five rebounds, 13 assists and two steals in 37 minutes.
• This was the Cavs' first outing since losing Jarrett Allen (finger) for the time being. Garland now has three straight double-doubles under his belt as he continues to prove himself as one of the elite playmakers in the NBA.
  • Evan Mobley is probably the player who will benefit most from Allen being sidelined. The Rookie of the Year favorite finished with 22 points (8-15 FG, 0-1 3Pt, 6-8 FT), 12 rebounds, three assists, one block and five steals over 36 minutes. Mobley currently ranks as the 86th overall nine-category fantasy option this season and I would not be surprised to see that number rise.
  • Lauri Markkanen: 21 points (8-14 FG, 1-5 3Pt, 4-4 FT), five rebounds, one assist, one block and one steal over 30 minutes.
• Tyrese Haliburton was going head-to-head with Garland all night long. Although the Pacers could not end victorious, the recently acquired guard still went off for 25 points (9-14 FG, 4-7 3Pt, 3-4 FT), four rebounds, nine assists, one block and two steals across 39 minutes. Haliburton is averaging 19.2 points, 4.8 rebounds, 9.5 assists and 2.1 steals per game over his first 11 showings with Indiana. 
  • While Malcolm Brogdon had his worst shooting day since returning to the Pacers' lineup he was able to provide impact with his passing, totaling 12 points (6-15 FG, 0-2 3Pt), five rebounds and 12 assists over 37 minutes. The Virginia product is averaging 23.8 points, 6.0 rebounds and 5.9 assists post-All-Star Break.
  • Goga Bitadze: 15 points (6-10 FG, 2-4 3Pt, 1-2 FT), nine rebounds, three assists, one block and one steal in 18 minutes.

Grizzlies handle Pels

• The Pelicans have been one of the best teams post-trade-deadline, but the Grizzlies proved to be too much for them as they cruised to a 132-111 win. Ja Morant led the balanced Memphis attack, finishing with 24 points (8-13 FG, 2-4 3Pt, 6-7 FT), eight rebounds, eight assists, two steals and one block over 27 minutes. Memphis continues to stack the wins together and currently sits at 45-22, good for second in the West.
  • Jaren Jackson: 22 points (7-13 FG, 2-6 3Pt, 6-6 FT), three rebounds, three blocks and one steal across 24 minutes.
• CJ McCollum still did his thing in the loss to Memphis. McCollum totaled 32 points (13-21 FG, 5-10 3Pt, 1-3 FT), six rebounds and 11 assists over 31 minutes. Since joining the Pelicans, McCollum is averaging 26.6 points, 5.7 rebounds and 6.5 assists per game over his first 11 games with the team. He also ranks as the 24th overall nine-category fantasy option over the last three weeks. 
  • Naji Marshall: 16 points (4-13 FG, 1-7 3Pt, 7-10 FT), two rebounds and one steal across 27 minutes.

Suns survive Magic 

• The Suns were without the likes of Chris Paul (thumb), Devin Booker (health and safety) and Cameron Johnson (quad) against the Magic, but Phoenix still held solid control for most of the game. Orlando stormed back in the fourth and had a chance to tie the game, down by three points in the final seconds. Mikal Bridges saved the day for the Suns and swatted Franz Wagner's game-tying attempt to seal the 102-99 win for the Suns.
• It was a pretty balanced effort for Phoenix as Deandre Ayton led the way with 21 points (10-19 FG, 1-1 FT), 19 rebounds and one assist over 36 minutes.
  • Cameron Payne has been quite efficient filling in for Chris Paul and Devin Booker over the past few outings. The guard ended with 18 points (6-16 FG, 3-5 3Pt, 3-4 FT), six rebounds, 12 assists and two steals over 35 minutes. Payne is averaging 15.8 points and 11.0 assists over his last four outings.
  • Landry Shamet: 21 points (6-12 FG, 6-10 3Pt, 3-3 FT), three rebounds and two assists over 35 minutes.
  • Devin Booker has cleared health and safety protocols and will return for Wednesday night's showdown with the Heat in Miami.
• Wendell Carter was the only Magic player to score more than 12 points during Orlando's loss. The 22-year-old ended with 20 points ( 8-14 FG, 1-3 3Pt, 3-4 FT), 12 rebounds and one block over 32 minutes. Carter currently ranks as the 67th overall nine-category fantasy option over the last month of play. 
  • Markelle Fultz: 11 points (5-10 FG, 0-1 3Pt, 1-2 FT), three rebounds, four assists and one steal in 17 minutes. 

Best and Worst of the Night 

• Best of the Night: Kyrie Irving - 50 points (15-19 FG, 9-12 3Pt, 11-13 FT), three rebounds, six assists, one steal and one block over 37 minutes
• Worst of the Night: Reggie Jackson - Five points (2-14 FG, 1-5 3Pt), four rebounds, seven assists over 28 minutes. 
• Rookie of the Night: Evan Mobley - 22 points (8-15 FG, 0-1 3Pt, 6-8 FT), 12 rebounds, three assists, one block and five steals over 36 minutes.

Quick Hitters

• The Bucks stormed past the Thunder 142-115 behind a strong performance from Giannis Antetokounmpo. The Greek Freak went off for 39 points (13-19 FG, 9-13 FT, 4-4 3Pt), seven rebounds, seven assists, three steals and one block over just 28 minutes of action. 
  • Khris Middleton: 25 points (9-17 FG, 4-7 3Pt, 3-3 FT), two rebounds and nine assists over 30 minutes. 
• Shai Gilgeous-Alexander keeps on rolling despite the rough blowout loss to the Bucks. The improving guard ended with 33 points (11-18 FG, 3-3 3Pt, 8-12 FT), eight rebounds, 14 assists, three steals and one block over 35 minutes.
  • Aleksej Pokusevski: 13 points (4-10 FG, 2-6 3Pt, 3-4 FT), seven rebounds and four assists over 28 minutes. 
• The Warriors got their starters back and steamed to a 112-97 win over the Clippers. Jonathan Kuminga and Moses Moody seem to be taking off nights showing off their upside. Kuminga went off for 21 points (7-12 FG, 2-3 3Pt, 5-6 FT), six rebounds and six assists over 26 minutes.
  • Klay Thompson: 20 points(9-23 FG, 2-9 3Pt), five rebounds, and one assist over 34 minutes. 
• The Clippers fell behind early and never clawed their way back. Nicolas Batum was the only Los Angeles player to score more than 11 points, finishing with 17 points (6-11 FG, 3-7 3Pt, 2-5 FT), six rebounds, one assist and two steals over 27 minutes.

A Look Ahead to Wednesday Night 

• The Hornets and Celtics square off in Charlotte
• The Hawks and Bucks battle it out in Milwaukee
• The Suns and Heat meet in Miami, in a battle of the top two teams of each conference.
• Luka Doncic looks to stay hot when the Knicks come into Dallas.
• The Raptors and Spurs meet in San Antonio.