Until pre-match warm-ups, James Harden was almost a DNP. Once the game was over, he looked like an MVP.
With his abbreviated nets, Harden refused to let them short. He shook a neck injury that made him questionable and led the Nets to a 116-112 win over Portland at the Fashion Center.
The big three were reduced to a big one, Harden added 25 points, a season with 17 assists and seven rebounds, despite playing due to the pain and had him about to be retained.
“It simply came to our notice then. I wasn’t able to be myself, really show my whole range of motion, a little bit of everything, ”Harden said. “But there are no excuses. I tried to fight and my team needed me. I tried to go out and do my best. And I hope it was good enough. “
Clearly. With Kyrie Irving down, Jeff Green, Joe Harris and Nic Claxton took the lead as the Nets got the win.
After conceding 41 points in the first quarter, the defense settled in as the game progressed. They kept Portland at just 21 in the fourth shot of .318.
“Much better in the last three quarters,” Steve Nash said. “We fought defensively in the first quarter. I thought we were a little undecided. I have made too many mistakes, mental mistakes. But the last three quarters, 25, 25, 21 points, were very good. We were telling them during the game, our defense improved. Keep going, keep getting better and that’s how they did it. They did a great job. They fought, they fought, our rebound improved and we managed to stop ”.
The Nets (30-14) won for the 16th time in their last 18 games, securing their team record streak of victories against Western Conference enemies nine in a row. They went halfway behind Philadelphia to take first place in the Eastern Conference.
And they did it without Irving (family affair), Kevin Durant (hamstring), Landry Shamet (ankle) and Spencer Dinwiddie (ACL). Hopefully it was Harden.
“I love to hang out. I love being there facing the challenge of finding a way to win games. In basketball, nothing is going to be perfect, “Harden said, adding that he will play against Utah if he is able.” I just go out there and try to make an impact if I can play without risking. [real injury]”.
The Nets took advantage of a 16-5 run to take a seven-point lead in the fourth quarter. There were three left with the ball and 16.5 seconds left when Harden was charged with billing, Derrick Jones Jr. he won a jump ball against Claxton (16 points, nine boards). Brooklyn gave a free kick and Robert Covington made just one of two free throws to get the 114-112.
Green (20 points) froze her in the fringe.
The Nets kept Damian Lillard (22 points) and CJ McCollum at 7 of 26 from deep, including 0 vs. 7 in the crucial final period. They now have UTAh, the NBA leader, approaching Wednesday in the tail of a brutal back-to-back and Detroit on Friday.
“We played really well on the road, especially against the Western Conference teams,” said Harris, who had 17 points. “But it is believed that throughout today’s game we have shown a level of endurance that good teams show.”
The Nets led the score 69-68 after a throw from Bruce Brown. But they coughed a 9-1 run, covered by a Jones Jr. 3 who made it 77-70 with 8:32 in the third quarter.
The Nets still dragged on 88-84 after a setback from murdered Nets Enes Kanter. They responded by rejecting a 16-5 run, including the first six unanswered points.
A bucket from Blake Griffin put them 96-93. And Claxton had an introductory and transition throw to give the Nets their biggest advantage of the night at 100-93 with 10:03 to play.
When the Nets saw the lead shrink to two e at Covington’s 3-point, Harden found Tyler Johnson for a 3 of his own to respond. Claxton filled it again at 110-103 with 5:24 left. It could have been a Harden lobe or a lost float; Anyway, it was a seven-point edge.