Kyrie Irving Says He Channeled 'Mamba Mentality' with 54 Points in Win vs. Bulls

In his second game since the death of his friend Kobe Bryant, Brooklyn Nets star Kyrie Irving used his memory to fuel him to a 54-point game against the Chicago Bulls. 

"I hit a few shots in the first half, so I had to keep it going," Irving said on the court afterward. "Kobe mentality and Mamba mentality. ... It felt good."

Irving shot 19-of-23 from the field, hitting his first 10 shots on the night, to go with five assists and five rebounds as the Nets torched the Bulls 133-118. 

While the Bulls haven't been among the toughest teams this year, they hadn't experienced anything like what the Nets did Friday night. Brooklyn's 50 made field goals and 133 points are the most allowed by Chicago this season. 

After learning about Bryant's death on Sunday, Irving sat out the Nets game that night to grieve his friend and mentor. When he came back on Wednesday against the Pistons, he finished with 20 points and five assists. Following the victory over Detroit, Irving attempted to put into words what Bryant meant to him on the court but admitted he couldn't articulate it properly yet. 

On Friday, he found a different way to pay respect to Bryant, pointing to the sky as he walked off the court after he scored his 54th and final point of the evening. With 37 points in three quarters against Chicago, Irving went into overdrive in the fourth to score another 17, hugging his dad as the game ended.