"I sure hope the vaccine mandate ends in NYC" - Magic Johnson wants to watch Kyrie Irving dazzle in the NBA playoffs

Kyrie Irving exploded for 60 points on Tuesday (March 15) night against the Orlando Magic. Irving showed the entire league what he's capable of if he can play full time for the Brooklyn Nets.

In a tweet after the game, LA Lakers legend Magic Johnson praised Irving for breaking the Nets' franchise record for points in a single game. Johnson also hopes that the New York City vaccine mandate gets lifted so that fans can appreciate Kyrie in the NBA playoffs.

"Kyrie Irving put on a dazzling show against Orlando tonight scoring 60 points. I sure hope the vaccine mandate ends in NYC in time for the playoffs so we can watch him play in every playoff game. He is unreal," Johnson wrote.

Kyrie Irving and the Brooklyn Nets dominated the Orlando Magic at the Amway Center on Tuesday night. 150-108. Irving scored a career-high 60 points, with six rebounds and four assists. He already had 41 points in the first half, which is the second-most points scored in the first half in NBA history. Kyrie was just a point shy of tying Kobe Bryant's record of 42.

Irving was on fire in the first half, shooting 14-for-19 from the field, 6-for-7 from beyond the arc and 7-for-7 from the free throw line. Fans inside the Amway Center started cheering for Kyrie every time he touched the ball.

Early in the fourth quarter, Kyrie hit a three-point shot to get to 60 points. Nets head coach Steve Nash took Irving out to a standing ovation. Irving's final line was very impressive, going 20-for-31 from the field, 8-for-12 from the three-point area and 12-for-13 from the stripe.

---

How many games can Kyrie Irving play for the rest of the regular season?

Superstar Kyrie Irving of the Brooklyn Nets.

With the regular season coming to an end in less than a month, the Brooklyn Nets have 13 games left on their schedule. However, Kyrie Irving is still unvaccinated and the NYC vaccine mandate has not been lifted. How many games can Irving still play this season?

Irving is only eligible to play in three more games this season for the Nets. All three games are on the road against the Memphis Grizzlies, Miami Heat and Atlanta Hawks. The remaining ten games are in the city of New York, with nine in Brooklyn and one in Madison Square Garden against the New York Knicks.

The New York City vaccine mandate prevents Kyrie Irving from playing in home games and at Madison Square Garden. The mandate prevents unvaccinated performers or workers in private businesses like Irving working. It is despite the indoor vaccine mandate being lifted in early March.

Irving is not above the law and should not be given special treatment even if the mandate does not make sense anymore. If the play-in tournament starts today, the Nets will be flying to Toronto to face the Raptors. Kyrie is not eligible to play in Canada due to his unvaccinated status.

If the Nets somehow get the seventh or eighth spot in the NBA playoffs, they'll have Irving in four out of the possible seven games. The likely top teams in the Eastern Conference are the Miami Heat, Milwaukee Bucks, Philadelphia 76ers, Chicago Bulls and Boston Celtics.