NEW YORK — After an everyday season riddled with accidents, the Brooklyn Nets are getting into the NBA playoffs as shut to totally wholesome as they’ve been all season. Star guard James Harden, who missed over 5 weeks with a hamstring pressure, was obtainable to play in simply two video games in the course of the last month of the common season, and he wasn’t scoring at fairly the identical degree as he was earlier than he obtained harm.
Heading into the playoffs, Harden says he’s paying these numbers no thoughts. In any case, on earlier groups — like in Houston — stuffing the stat sheet with mind-boggling scoring wasn’t sufficient to impress pundits or win titles.
“I believed successful was all that issues?” he stated with fun on Wednesday. “Once I was doing the stats and placing up the numbers, it wasn’t ok. So, sooner or later we’ve gotta work out what we’re speaking about. Nevertheless it’s all about successful.”
Harden is averaging 24.6 factors per recreation this season for Brooklyn. Within the two video games since his harm, he scored 18 and 5 factors and the Nets received each video games. For instance his level about scoring, he stated that in Wednesday’s apply recreation, he had zero factors.
Nonetheless, his crew received.
“My impression doesn’t have to point out up on the stat sheet for us to win,” he stated. “I believe my job as a frontrunner is to ensure everyone’s taking part in effectively. If I’m doing that, I can concentrate on myself final. That’s not an issue in any respect.”
Now, the Nets are on the verge of the playoffs; their first-round collection in opposition to the No. 7-seeded Boston Celtics begins Saturday. Whereas the Celtics are with out Jaylen Brown, who had season-ending wrist surgical procedure, Jayson Tatum has been electrical offensively this season.
Nets coach Steve Nash stated that Kevin Durant — whom he has known as the crew’s finest defender — will probably be primarily tasked with guarding Tatum. Nonetheless, Harden stated he views defending Tatum as a bunch effort. And though the Celtics are shorthanded, Durant stated he isn’t viewing this as a straightforward match-up for Brooklyn.
“I perceive that stuff on paper and the way groups look and the way achieved gamers on our crew are,” Durant stated, “however for us, we respect the sport and our opponents an excessive amount of to come back in and say, ‘look we’re anticipated to win this.’ We’re coming on the market and understanding we will be beat if we don’t lock in.”
The Nets have used Tuesday and Wednesday to largely concentrate on refining their very own play earlier than they dive into Celtics movie periods later within the week. Harden stated he believes that if the Nets persist with what they do finest — scoring in bunches — and might lock down on the defensive finish of the ground, he likes their probabilities to contend for a title.
“Some groups say, ‘We simply have to do what we do finest’ — and that’s simply not ok at instances,” Harden stated. “However for us, that could be a nice quote, and if we do this, then we positively have an opportunity.”
First, they should undergo the Celtics.
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