Kyrie Irving is still a master in the art of breaking people's ankles. His latest victim was Atlanta Hawks guard Aaron Holiday, who got taught a tough lesson on the perils of guarding the Brooklyn Nets guard early in Wednesday night's game when he got sent by Irving crashing to the ground after a sick move. Even worse for Holiday was that Irving connected on his shot.

It was just an unfortunate sequence for Holiday, who probably wouldn't be put in that position if only Trae Young was active. Young was ruled out of this meeting with the Nets because of an injury he suffered Tuesday night against the Indiana Pacers.

Still, even if Young played, Irving would have found a way to embarrass someone from the Hawks because that's just what he does — all the time.

Kyrie Irving and the Nets have been on a roll over the past several days. They entered this matchup against the Hawks seeking their 10th win in a row and after beating top Eastern Conference contenders Milwaukee Bucks and Cleveland Cavaliers in back-to-back fashion. Their current win streak also includes their win over the Hawks back in Dec. 9 at home.

The Nets are propelled by the exceptional play of their superstar duo of Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant, with both players averaging over 30 points in Brooklyn's current undefeated run. The Hawks can be tough to beat even without Young and some other key Atlanta players, but in any case, Irving has definitely sent a strong statement early in the game.