Kyrie Irving of the Brooklyn Nets seems to be back to a hundred percent as he expects to play in the team's back-to-back games against the Utah Jazz and the Philadelphia 76ers.

Kyrie Irving snapped his 26-game absence on Sunday in an easy 108-86 win over the rebuilding Atlanta Hawks. In his return, the six-time All-Star had a very efficient 20-minute night. He scored 21 points on 10-of-11 shooting from the field, four rebounds, and three assists. More than the statistics, Irving was back to his old self, unleashing his trademark dribbling moves which rendered the Hawks' defense helpless.

Sunday's win may have served as a much-needed warm-up game for Irving. After all, missing 26 games will boot a player out of his rhythm. Participating in 3-on-3 or 5-on-5 drills is great. But nothing beats playing in an actual NBA game to loosen up your muscles and test your competitive mettle.

Besides, the Nets will be on a tough five-game stretch starting on Tuesday. They'll face the red hot Jazz who are on a nine-game winning streak. On Wednesday, they'll head to Philly to face the 76ers. They need a very productive night from Irving.

The fact that Irving himself expects to play back-to-back means that he's fully healthy. After the game, he claims that he missed the game so much and he's happy that he's back.

“I mean, I just work on my game diligently, but, you know, you have nights like this,” Irving said. “But coming back, my teammates, having the support of them, and like I said having my family here, is always a great joy. I love the game man. I missed it so much.”

After their tough back-to-back, they'll face the Milwaukee Bucks, 76ers again and the Los Angeles Lakers.