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The Nets’ intended stating five were missing, and it showed in the Nets’ 126-91 blowout loss to the Celtics on Tuesday night at Barclays Center. The Nets were in this dire situation because Kevin Durant and Joe Harris likely out until after the All-Star break, James Harden and Nic Claxton got downgraded from questionable to out with tight hamstrings. Kyrie Irving is unvaccinated and ineligible to play at home.
No member of the Nets’ make shift starting five of Blake Griffin, Bruce Brown, Kessler Edwards, Patty Mills and DeAndre’ Bembry scored in double figures in the loss.
As for Harden’s status, Steve Nash said it’s too early to know if the veteran guard — who missed his third straight game — can return Thursday at Washington.
“Yeah, I think it’s premature, but I also have no idea how, with the strength tests are what his level is right now,” Nash said. “I’d have to ask performance but really we’re just trying to get him stronger, get him back to a place where he feels confident, performance feels confident that he can go back out there and explode and be ready to go.”
In the case of Claxton — who left the loss in Utah after five minutes and has missed back-to-back games — Nash added the young center is feeling his hamstring and is going to have to get through his fear of it.
“I think a big part for Nic is more so the confidence than the strength, and so I think that’s where he’s at,” Nash said. “I think he has an awareness, and I think it’s just a matter of him either getting his strength to a position where he overcomes the fear of the awareness and is able to play through it.”
Former Nets assistant Ime Udoka has the Celtics red-hot, having won six in a row and playing withering defense — second-best in the league since the third week of December. Asked what advice he’d given Udoka, Nash made it sound like his former assistant didn’t need any.
“I’m not sure I gave him any advice. I think all experiences though lead to where you’re at in the moment,” Nash said before the loss. “But I think when you take over a program like he has, especially with some injuries and you know the COVID interruptions and everyone’s dealt with, you have to have time to analyze and see what you have.
“So obviously he’s shortened his rotation when he’s got everyone healthy, which largely puts out there predominantly good defenders to really good, and so defensively they’ve taken it to another level. They’re forming a real understanding and cohesion for not only what he wants, but for each other in that system. So he’s doing a terrific job. We expected him to do great and it’s exciting to see him work.”
With the New York state rule requiring masks or vaccination proof at businesses is expected to expire Thursday and not be renewed, according to the Times Union in Albany, and both New Jersey and Connecticut loosening mandates, Irving is hoping New York City is trending in a similar direction — which would allow Irving to play in home games.
Patty Mills has been named to the 3-Point Contest, which will take place Feb. 19 at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse in Cleveland. He came into Tuesday hitting 42.5 percent from behind the arc.
Mills – just the fifth Net to participate in the 3-Point Contest – is the only player in the Top 10 in the league in 3s (172) and 3-point percentage (.425).
James Johnson dismissed the idea of Harden trade rumors or that they’re impacting the star or the Nets.
“The outside noise is not with us. They’re not in this locker room. They ain’t run no suicides with you. They ain’t do anything like that,” said Johnson. “So make the task the task and the business is the business, and we all understand that, so I say let’s go out and play for one another and let upper management and Sean handle that.”
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