The Brooklyn Nets have won four straight going into Wednesday night’s game against the Cleveland Cavaliers, even while altering the shape of the roster with a blockbuster trade right in the middle of the streak.
It started with wins on a back-to-back against Denver and New York, the second coming with a shorthanded roster as the Nets closed in on completing the four-team trade that brought James Harden to Brooklyn on Thursday. With Harden, the Nets beat Orlando on Saturday and then faced down the Milwaukee Bucks, the league’s winningest team over the last two seasons, and won a crunchtime shootout, 125-123. With the win, the Nets improved to 9-6.
“It's a huge win for us,” said Harden. “This is our second game together and we haven't had one practice. We just watch film and go off our instincts. We just try to learn on the fly as I said before. It was going to be a challenge for us tonight but I think we held our own and we came out aggressive. Once we can clean up some things and get better as the season goes along we'll be much better. I got to do a better job of controlling the game and not turning the basketball over. I think we're one of the best teams when we actually get a shot up on the rim. I have to do a better job of that but that just comes with time, it comes with spacing, it comes with knowing the offense.”
After going for a triple-double with 32 points, 14 assists, and 12 rebounds against Orlando in his Nets debut, Harden had a double-double against the Bucks with 34 points and 12 assists, shooting 13-for-25.
Nearly nine years after Harden and Kevin Durant last played together as teammates in Oklahoma City, they have fit together seamlessly in Brooklyn. Durant had a season-high 42 points against Orlando and 30 against Milwaukee, and he’s now averaging 30.6 points, 7.1 rebounds, and 5.7 assists while shooting 54.1 percent overall and 48.4 percent from 3-point range. Durant’s game-winning 3-pointer against the Bucks came off an assist from Harden, who had corralled his own 3-point miss.
“We were young in Oklahoma City,” said Harden. “We are grown men now. We know what we want. We really know the game of basketball now. We are not those young guys that want to run around and just shoot and dunk all day. We know the game, we know spots, we know team’s plays. We’re more advanced. And then for me, I sit back and I know what player Kevin Durant is. He’s one of the best players to ever touch a basketball. He’s god-given 7-foot – can basically do everything. So, for me, it is not trying to compete with that. It’s allowing Kevin to be the best Kevin he can be and I’m going to make sure I can make him better and make my teammates better, because at the end of the day, that’s all that matters.”
KYRIE IRVING’S RETURN
Brooklyn’s injury report for Wednesday’s game in Cleveland does not include Kyrie Irving, who has been listed as out due to personal reasons or health and safety protocols while missing the last seven games. Irving rejoined the Nets for practice on Tuesday and head coach Steve Nash said he expects him to play against the Cavaliers.
“I think Ky is working really hard mentally to put himself in a great position to perform,” said Nash. “I’m proud of him for the effort he’s making there. Physically, we’ll see. I know he’s been doing some things, but it was a longer layoff. So, we’ve got to monitor it and see how able he is to play up and down in the short term and what’s going to get us to the long term with him in a safe manner.”
The Nets have a different look since Irving last played. With last week’s trade for James Harden, Brooklyn how has three No. 1 level scoring options, all of whom are well-equipped to facilitate for teammates as well.
“Ky is such a talented basketball player,” said Nash. “I think he can adapt to multiple situations and roles. He’ll be with the ball, he’ll be without the ball, and I think he’s terrific in both capacities. He’s also very skillful, intelligent and creative. He’ll I think adapt to any possibility. So though that takes time — and I don’t want to discredit that that is change, and that is newness, and those things do take time — he’s more than capable in flourishing in multiple roles.”
A QUICK REUNION
The Nets are in Cleveland for consecutive games this week on Wednesday and Friday, and while James Harden has already played two games for the Nets, two of the players the Nets included in that trade, Jarrett Allen and Taurean Prince, will be making their debuts with the Cavs. Cleveland’s games against Washington on Sunday and Monday were postponed, so the Cavaliers haven’t played since Friday.
JORDAN VS. GIANNIS
DeAndre Jordan played a season-high 38 minutes against Milwaukee on Monday night, posting his first double-double of the season with 12 points and 12 rebounds, making all six of his field goal attempts, and collecting three assists and two blocks while he was at it. Kevin Durant said there was a scheme to match Jordan’s minutes with those of Milwaukee’s Giannis Antetokounmpo, who played 40.
“We asked him to guard a two-time MVP and he held his ground,” said Durant. “I mean, he’s gonna score his points because he has the ball, but he held his ground. And the fact that as each day goes on, we’re building our identity on the defensive side of the ball, and once we’re all on one page, that’s gonna make everybody better. So early in the season we were all trying to figure out our way and it can look kind of rocky when you’re doing that, but as we continue to move forward, you’ll see more of a solid play from all of us and more of an identity from our defense.”
HARRIS CONNECTS
Before Kevin Durant put the Nets ahead for good on Monday night, Joe Harris connected for a 3-pointer as well with 65 seconds remaining, that put the Nets up 122-121, the sixth of eight lead changes in the final five minutes.
Harris made 5-of-7 3-pointers against Milwaukee while shooting 7-of-12 overall and scoring 20 points. Through 15 games he’s eighth in the league in 3-point shooting percentage at 51.1 while also shooting 52.8 percent overall and averaging 15.0 points per game, a career-high rate.
“Joe is a terrific basketball player,” said Steve Nash. “He’s tough as nails, elite shooter, good defender, physical, doesn’t need the ball so he complements our stars incredibly well. He’s a great fit for our team. He’s a great fit for any team, but he’s a great complement to our stars because of his high level of play and that he’s willing to play without the ball and take on that role. He was terrific tonight.”
ABOUT THE CAVALIERS
Cleveland is 6-7, and the Cavs have added Jarrett Allen to a team that has been strong defensively to start. They’re second in the NBA in defensive rating at 105.0, second in steals (10.1), and first in opponent turnovers (18.5). Offense has been another story. Cleveland is last in the NBA in both points per game (99.5) and offensive rating (100.8). The Cavs are 25th in field goal percentage (44.3), 22nd in 3-point percentage (34.3), and 29th in both 3-pointers made (9.5) and attempted (18.5). Cleveland plays the second-slowest pace in the NBA (97.29), while the Nets are fifth at 103.15. Second-year guard Collin Sexton leads the Cavaliers with 25.1 points per game while shooting 53.1 percent overall and 51.6 percent from 3-point range, but last played on Jan. 6 due to an ankle injury. Andre Drummond leads the NBA with 15.8 rebounds per game and averages 17.2 points per game.