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With Kevin Durant injured and James Harden traded away, it was left to Patty Mills to represent the Nets on the court at All-Star weekend in Cleveland.
Following his participation and fourth-place finish Saturday night in the 3-Point Contest, the veteran guard said he will take the next few days to rest up and prepare for what he described as a “massive” final 23 games of the regular season.
The Nets, who currently sit eighth in the Eastern Conference with a 31-28 record, need to find chemistry once Durant and newly acquired Ben Simmons are both in the lineup to establish and maximize the team’s playoff position.
“Personally for me, these next three days, I’ll get some good R & R. Been going since the Tokyo Olympics, probably before then to prepare for it, and obviously [this season] with Brooklyn, so it’ll be good to get some downtime to recharge the batteries and reset and look forward to a big push down the stretch of the season,” Mills said after Saturday’s 3-point competition. “As far as the team standpoint, it’s go time.”
Durant served as one of the captains but will not play in Sunday’s All-Star Game. The 12-time All-Star has been out since Jan. 15 due to a sprained knee, and the Nets haven’t announced a definitive timetable for his return.
Simmons hasn’t played this season due to a holdout and mental-health concerns before he was acquired from the Sixers — along with Seth Curry, Andre Drummond and two-first-round picks — at the trade deadline for Harden and Paul Millsap. Kyrie Irving also still presently remains ineligible to play in home games and certain road games due to his COVID-19 unvaccinated status.
“I think being able to add the pieces we’ve added, getting people back from injury, this is who we got,” Mills said. “I keep talking about the vibe around the locker room and everyone enjoying each other’s presence. … You can feel it in the locker room and that’s gonna carry us a long way, I believe, if we can stay tight as a group.
“It’s gonna take all of us to get the job done. It’s a massive push for us coming up.”
Personally, the 13-year NBA veteran enjoyed his first career All-Star weekend opportunity, despite missing the finals of the 3-Point Contest by one point and finishing behind winner Karl-Anthony Towns, as well as Luke Kennard and Trae Young.
“I had a ton of fun out there. It was a different experience being in an individual event. I absolutely loved it,” the 33-year-old Mills said. “It’s an opportunity to lock in and see how many you make. I had a blast out there.
“To be out there with the other guys, all the great shooters from around the league, it was fun. This being my first All-Star weekend, I really enjoyed just seeing what it’s all about. It’s taken 13 years for me to come and check it out, and I’m glad I did it.”
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