Around the Association: Kyrie matches KAT, Strus comes up clutch, Suns stay hot

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Published on March 16, 2022

Welcome to Around the Association! Five days per week (Monday through Friday), 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.

It was a great short slate last night -- here is all you need to know:

Nightly Notables

Irving matches KAT

Just one day after Karl-Anthony Towns went off for 60 points, Kyrie Irving decided to do the same exact thing during Brooklyn's 150-108 beatdown over the Magic. The star guard dropped 41 points in the first half while ending with a final stat line of 60 points (20-31 FG, 8-12 3Pt, 12-13 FT) to go with six rebounds, four assists, four steals and one block across 35 minutes. Sadly, Irving won't be able to go try and replicate this performance until March 23rd as he will be forced to miss the Nets' upcoming three-game homestand.
- Kevin Durant: 19 points (6-9 FG, 7-8 fT), five rebounds, seven assists and one steal over 30 minutes.
While Orlando absolutely got crushed in this one, Cole Anthony turned in a solid line of 19 points (5-11 FG, 3-6 3Pt, 6-9 FT), four rebounds and seven assists over 25 minutes. The guard has had a breakout season, but his numbers are slightly down since Markelle Fultz joined the lineup, averaging just 15.0 points, 4.6 rebounds and 4.1 assists per game in the duo's first seven contests so far.

Strus to the Rescue

Max Strus went off in the fourth quarter to help rally the Heat to a 105-98 win over the Pistons. The sharpshooter out of DePaul ended the contest with 16 points (6-9 FG, 4-6 3Pt) and three rebounds in 16 minutes. Strus has rattled off three straight solid games, scoring 17.3 points in just 22.0 minutes per game.
- Tyler Herro continues to further his case to be named Sixth Man of the Year. The Kentucky product ended with a game-high 29 points (8-15 FG, 4-8 3Pt, 9-11 FT), five rebounds and four assists in 34 minutes. Herro is on fire post-All-Star break, reaching 20 points in 10 out of his last 11 showings while averaging 25.4 points, 4.5 rebounds and 3.5 assists over that span.
Cade Cunningham was absent from the game due to a non-COVID illness, which may explain why Detroit performed so badly. Jerami Grant led the Pistons in the loss with 22 points (8-20 FG, 1-5 3Pt, 5-8 FT), four rebounds, two steals and one block over 38 minutes. Grant has now scored 20 or more points in four out of his last five showings.
- Isaiah Livers went off for a career-high 16 points (6-7 FG, 4-5 3Pt), six rebounds, two assists and one steal over 32 minutes. Cade Cunningham's absence most likely attributed to Livers boost in minutes, but this outing certainly bodes well for Livers' case moving forward.

Suns stay hot

Devin Booker didn't need much time to help push the Suns to a 131-115 win over the Pelicans. The All-Star finished with 27 points (11-20 FG, 4-9 3Pt, 1-1 FT), five rebounds, eight assists and two steals over 30 minutes. Booker continues to shine both for the NBA-leading Phoenix Suns and fantasy owners, ranking as the 20th best nine-category fantasy option on a per-game basis this season.
- Mikal Bridges: 20 points (7-14 FG, 4-5 3Pt, 2-2 FT), three rebounds, three assists, one block and one steal across 36 minutes.
Herbert Jones continued upon his really strong rookie season with an efficient outing in the loss. The forward ended with a team-high 22 points (7-11 FG, 3-6 3Pt, 5-5 FT), five rebounds and three steals over 32 minutes. Jones has been one of the best surprises out of this year's draft class and continues to see heavy opportunities for the Pelicans, especially with Brandon Ingram (hamstring) still sidelined.
- Jonas Valanciunas: 17 points (8-14 FG, 1-4 3Pt), 12 rebounds, three assists, one block and one steal over 30 minutes.

Best and Worst of the Night

Best of the Night: Kyrie Irving - 60 points (20-31 FG, 8-12 3Pt, 12-13 FT) to go with six rebounds, four assists, four steals and one block across 35 minutes.
Worst of the Night: Tyrese Haliburton - Four points (2-9 FG, 0-3 3Pt), three rebounds, eight assists and one steal in 30 minutes.
Rookie of the Night: Kessler Edwards - 14 points (6-8 FG, 2-3 3Pt, 0-1 FT), six rebounds, two assists and one steal across 25 minutes.

Quick Hitters

Despite not having their star point guard Ja Morant (back), the Grizzlies still rolled to a 135-102 over the Pacers. Jaren Jackson Jr was dominant with 19 points (8-16 FG, 0-2 3Pt, 3-4 FT), eight rebounds, one assist, three blocks and two steals over 21 minutes.
- Desmond Bane: 21 points (7-12 FG, 4-7 3Pt, 3-4 FT), four rebounds, six assists, one block and two steals in 23 minutes.
This was perhaps Tyrese Haliburton's worst showing of the season, totaling just four points (2-9 FG, 0-3 3Pt), three rebounds, eight assists and one steal in 30 minutes. The recently acquired guard is averaging 17.8 points and 9.1 assists per game since joining Indiana.
- Terry Taylor: 14 points (7-8 FG, 0-1 3Pt), eight rebounds and two blocks in 27 minutes.
Good News: Jamal Murray has been assigned to the Nuggets' G-League team, the Grand Rapids' Gold. This is obviously great to see for Denver as they prepare for another playoff run.
Bad News: Jonathan Isaac will not return to the court this season as he continues to rehab from ACL surgery. The Isaac saga is one of the more interesting and least covered storylines in the league as the Florida State product hasn't seen the court since the 2019-20 season.

A Look Ahead to Wednesday Night

The Hawks and Hornets duel in Charlotte.
The 76ers look to bounce back as they face the Cavs in Cleveland.
Luka takes the Mavericks to Brooklyn to face the Kyrie Irving-less Nets.
How will KAT replicate his 60-point performance as the struggling Lakers come into town?
The Bulls look to get back on the right track in Utah against the Jazz.
The red-hot Celtics travel to San Francisco to face the healthy Golden State Warriors.