Brooklyn Nets faced ‘one too many obstacles this year,’ Steve Nash says

NEW YORK — The Brooklyn Nets couldn’t stave off the results of mounting accidents any longer.

After defying the percentages that hamstring strains and ankle sprains had dealt, after mesmerizing and even historic performances, the Nets simply didn’t have fairly sufficient to outlast the Milwaukee Bucks in a 115-111 time beyond regulation loss in Sport 7 of the Japanese Convention semifinals.

Kyrie Irving sat on the sideline in road garments on Saturday night time, and though James Harden performed in Sport 7, he did so “on one leg,” as Nets coach Steve Nash put it, as he battled by way of a hamstring damage that required his proper leg to be wrapped in elastic therapeutic tape.

Regardless of all of that, Nash thought his group had hope.

“I nonetheless thought we might win it,” Nash mentioned. “And clearly, I feel we proved tonight that we might. Sport might have gone both means. You all the time know there’s an opportunity. Something can occur. I feel we simply confronted one too many obstacles this 12 months. As a result of our guys gave all the things they’d.”

Accidents had been unrelenting for Brooklyn this season. Each Harden and Kevin Durant every missed greater than a month with hamstring strains. The Nets’ Large Three of Irving, Harden and Durant performed simply eight video games collectively within the common season earlier than the playoffs started. However because the postseason approached, the Nets had been lastly at full energy.

It didn’t final lengthy.

In Sport 2 towards the Boston Celtics, Jeff Inexperienced aggravated the plantar fascia in his left foot that had been plaguing him all season. He missed six video games. In Sport 1 of the Nets’ sequence towards the Bucks, Harden pulled the identical hamstring that prompted him to overlook time within the common season, and he missed three video games. In a pivotal Sport 4 towards the Bucks, Irving crashed awkwardly to the ground on a layup, spraining an ankle.

Regardless of not having his full mobility, Harden rushed again and returned in Sport 5. After the Nets had been eradicated, Harden mentioned that whereas the staff was calling his damage hamstring tightness, he had been taking part in by way of a Grade 2 hamstring pressure.

“Me, personally, like, it’s irritating,” Harden mentioned. “Simply being sturdy and being myself for the final so many postseasons and coping with this specific hamstring, I’m pissed off. We did all the things we might in the direction of the tip. Simply pissed off, however give the Bucks credit score. They fought till the tip, had a hell of a sequence. We simply got here up brief.”

However even with all of these illnesses, the Nets pushed an virtually absolutely wholesome Milwaukee staff to Sport 7. Durant and Harden each performed 53 minutes on Saturday night time. Durant, who additionally performed each second of Sport 5 of the sequence, set a brand new Sport 7 report, scoring 48 factors. That included a miraculous jumper on the finish of regulation to tie the rating and drive time beyond regulation.

A sliver of Durant’s toe was on the 3-point arc when he hit that shot.

“My big-ass foot stepped on the road,” Durant mentioned. “I simply noticed a little bit screen-shot, how shut I used to be to ending their season off that shot, nevertheless it wasn’t in God’s plan, and we transfer on.”

For the Nets, who had been the title favourite for many of the season, shifting on means taking just a few days to digest the loss, relaxation and in the end get wholesome for a renewed pursuit of a championship subsequent season. Brooklyn might want to handle the contracts of a number of key gamers, together with restricted free agent Bruce Brown, unrestricted free brokers Inexperienced and Blake Griffin. Injured guard Spencer Dinwiddie additionally has a participant possibility.

Brown mentioned after Sport 7 that he wish to play for the Nets once more within the 2023-22 season. Inexperienced and Blake mentioned that they might take just a few days to get well earlier than placing thought into the long run, however each famous how a lot they take pleasure in taking part in in Brooklyn.

“I feel we’ve got guys which might be extraordinarily motivated, captivated with what they do, unselfish, keen to sacrifice, have plenty of character,” Nash mentioned. “I feel they’ll regroup and be able to go once more. It’s been a very tough 12 months. We received quite a bit thrown at us. They’ve survived it in unimaginable vogue. They’ll get themselves able to go once more subsequent 12 months.”