Even before the pre-game warm-up, James Harden was almost DNP. Once the game was over, he looked like an MVP.
With the Nets abbreviated, Harden refused to let them fall short. He shook a neck injury that cast doubt on him, leading the Nets to a 116-112 victory over Portland at the Fashion Center.
The big three were reduced to a big one, Harden scored 25 points, a season in which he equaled 17 assists and seven rebounds, despite the fact that he played with pain and was close to being prevented.
“It simply came to our notice then. I couldn’t be myself, really show the whole range of movements, a little bit of everything, “said Harden. “It simply came to our notice then. I tried to fight and my team needed me. I tried to go there and do my best. And hopefully it was good enough. ”
Clear. With the departure of Kyrie Irving, Jeff Green, Joe Harris and Nic Claxton all gained peace while the Nets got a victory from behind.
After giving up 41 points in the first quarter, the defense settled in as the game continued. They held Portland at just 21 in the fourth at .318 shooting.
“Much better in the last three quarters,” Steve Nash said. “I fought defensively in the first quarter. I thought we were a little undecided. He made too many mistakes, too many mental errors. But the last three quarters, 25, 25, 21 points were very good. I kept telling them during the game, our defense is getting better. Stay with him, keep improving and that’s how they did it. They did a great job. They fought, they fought, our comeback improved and we stopped. ”
The Nets (30-14) have won for the 16th time in their last 18 games and won the series of victories in the team’s record against Western Conference enemies nine times. They moved halfway behind Philadelphia for first place in the Eastern Conference.
And they did it without Irving (family problem), Kevin Durant (hamstring), Landry Shamet (ankle) and Spencer Dinwiddie (ACL). Harden was so good.
“I like to circle. I love being there, taking on the challenge of finding a way to win games. In basketball, nothing will be perfect, “said Harden, adding that he will play against Utah if he is able. “I only go there and try to make an impact if I can play without risk [real injury]. ”
The Nets used a 16-5 run to take a seven-point lead in the fourth quarter. There were three with the ball and 16.5 seconds left when Harden was charged with a turnover, Derrick Jones Jr. winning a jump ball against Claxton (16 points, nine tables). Brooklyn gave a foul and Robert Covington made just one of the two free throws to reach 114-112.
Green (20 points) froze him on the tape.
The Nets kept Damian Lillard (22 points) and CJ McCollum on 7 of 26 deep, including 0 on 7 in the last pivot period. Now they have Utah, the NBA leader, approaching a brutal back tail on Wednesday, and Detroit on Friday.
“We played extremely well on the road, especially against the Western Conference teams,” said Harris, who had 17 points. “But I think, even during today’s game, we showed a level of endurance that good teams show.”
The Nets led 69-68 after a stretch by Bruce Brown. But they coughed a 9-1 run, capped by a Jones Jr. 3 that made it 77-70 with 8:32 remaining in the third quarter.
The Nets pursued another 88-84 after a silence by the remarkable Nets killer, Enes Kanter. They responded by launching a 16-5 run, including the first six unanswered points.
A Blake Griffin bucket put them 96-93. And Claxton had a tip-in and transition to give the Nets the biggest edge of the night at 100-93 with 10:03 to play.
When the Nets saw the lead shrink to two, Covington ran 3 points, and Harden found Tyler Johnson for a 3 of his own to answer. Claxton filled him back at 110-103 with 5:24 left. It could have been a Harden lobe or a failed float; In both directions, it was a seven-point margin.