ABAWith the NBA on hiatus and New York continuing its battle against the novel coronavirus outbreak, Brooklyn Nets games will not be played for the foreseeable future.
For the Nets, as much as any team, this comes at an odd time — Brooklyn was battling the Orlando Magic for the seventh spot in the Eastern Conference standings. At the stoppage of play, the Nets had a half-game advantage over the Magic.
Since there aren’t any games, each day Nets Wire will highlight impressive individual performances and major moments throughout Nets history:
Throughout the Nets’ history as an NBA franchise (joined in 1976-77), only eight players have scored 50 or more points in a game.
Deron Williams holds the franchise record with 57. Kyrie Irving came close to passing the former Brooklyn guard when he dropped 54 on the Bulls in January — and became the only Nets player to ever log 50 points in a game on two occasions.
Caris LeVert (51), Vince Carter (51) and Stephon Marbury (50) all reached the mark for the Nets at some point, as well. But the first to do so in a Nets uniform in an NBA game was two-time ABA champion John Williamson.
After starting his professional career with the Nets in the ABA and making the transition with the team to the NBA, Williamson found himself with the Indiana Pacers in the middle of the 1976-77 season — both franchises’ first season in the NBA. Then, Williamson made the switch back to New Jersey the next season. And on April 4, 1978, the guard carved out his own little piece of Nets history when he scored 50 in the Nets’ 129-121 win over his former team, the Pacers (full box score).
Bernard King scored 26 for the Nets in the win and Eddie Jordan pitched in 21 points, eight rebounds and seven steals off the bench.