It was a possession at the start of the second quarter on Monday night, when James Harden double-teamed himself on the right with a pair of Spurs, and irresponsibly gave a back-to-back pass behind Nick Clayton. .
Harden made the game so easy that it’s very easy to imagine what the Nets could be if Kevin Durant could get his hamstring after the All-Star break and join the throwing scheme in Brooklyn, especially if A star is born in young Claxton (17 points in 17 minutes).
“When James is happening,” said Kyrie Irving, “it makes all our work a lot easier.”
There is no guarantee that a lot of cooks will not spoil the Brooklyn broth when the heat rises in the playoff kitchen, but as the All-Star has a break, his revenge game against the Rockets on Wednesday night in Houston, James Harden Has shown himself to be a model teammate, basically a Euro-step on the notion that one ball will not be enough for Durant, Irving and him.
“Honestly I just try to find ways to influence the game,” Harden said, “and didn’t just score basketball.”
He is a man on a mission, his seventh triple-double (30 points, 20 in the fourth quarter and OT, 14 rebellions, 15 assists, 0 turnovers) leading the Nets to a 124–113 victory, his first in San Antonio since 2002. Since then, only when he gave the Spurs the final 10 points in the final two minutes of regulation.
The Nets’ three amigos all bring their own unique inspirations to the table, but none more than Harden.
For one: He is 31 years old and has not won an NBA championship.
Durant has two rings.
Irving has a ring.
Harden has learned the hard way that there are no medals to try.
“It’s not a guarantee for me that coming to Brooklyn is a guarantee of a title,” Harden said in his introductory press conference. “But I think for me, giving myself a chance is very important, very young … young, willing to get paid and looking after my family, was very important to me. Now … your I am giving you a chance to do something that I have not accomplished in this league. “
For two: He is determined to change the story told after him for Brooklyn.
Harden could not play well with Russell Westbrook or Chris Paul or John Wall, and so eyebrows were raised when net GM Sean Marks pulled the trigger on a championship-or-bust move, which was also a ruck on his rough head. Will brighten up the brilliant light. The coach, State Nash, can communicate and collaborate effectively with the Empire State building-size InGos with three stars.
It was, and there is a leap of faith that Nash could quickly rise to Steve Kerr, who won the NBA Championship as a rookie coach with the Warriors.
It was, as it were, and a leap of faith that the Nets could replicate Steph Curry and Kell Thompson and Durant in the Big Three 2018 with the Warriors and LeBron James and Dwayne Wade and Chris Hosh with the Heat.
Harden’s empowerment of Rocket at the end of his eight All-Star seasons in Houston led to a toxic environment, which left Harden to go to his own drummer and sing for divorce.
The Nets’ bold Gamble will have a chance as long as Beard continues to accept that he is no longer The Straw the Stirred the Drink, just one of three straws that shake the drink.
The beard is the hair for their ring.
The change of scenery and environment has led to Harden’s rejuvenation. He can score when he feels like it. He willingly assumed the role of narrator / distributor, as a gift he is with a vision of a supernatural court and a knight to figure out how to play the game. He helps on the glass. He is an All-Star for the ninth consecutive season. “He can do almost everything literally,” Nash said.
Harden is a maestro with a basketball in his hand, who sets the terms of engagement at night when Irving needs a defeat or a reprieve.
Houston, you have problems coming.
In some ways, a good problem. A charitable problem for hurricane-ravaged Houston.
“I’m just excited to play in front of those fans,” Harden said. “My plan is to try to touch the thousands and thousands of people whose food, whether it is water, whether they are building their houses, whether they are smiling them, whatever they are, in that city. People because they have done this for me and they have given me and my family a lot of love. “
The Nets selected championship contenders when Durant and Irving decided to move their talents to Brooklyn. Spencer Dinwiddie’s torn ACL suffered only one week into the season and Hardis sent Caris Levert and Jarrett Allen and Taurion Prince and Rhodes Kurux to cut the depth of the net.
Harden rebelled at the end of his days in Houston – masked inside a club and attending rapper Lil Baby’s birthday party and training camp at Las Vegas clubs, in violation of the NBA’s COVID-19 protocol. Held frequent meetings.
But with the Nets, he has been a prime-time rebel for a reason … and the reason for the elusive NBA Championship.
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