Friday was the second time James Harden and Kyrie Irving took the floor together without Kevin Durant, who was resting his surgically repaired right Achilles. The first time the guards had to lead the Nets without Durant, the Cleveland Cavaliers handed the Nets a 125-113 loss. The pair made sure their next chance as a duo didn’t end the same way, leading Brooklyn to a 147-125 win.
While Harden and Irving scored 25 points apiece, they also took advantage of their teammates’ strong shooting, finishing with 11 and seven assists, respectively.
“We just got to find that balance of when to be aggressive and when to make plays,” Harden said on a Zoom call with reporters after Saturday’s win. “I think even with our aggressiveness, we’re still playmakers. I think over the course of the game we did a really good job of getting guys involved, but scoring the ball, as well. And nothing really changes even when KD is in the lineup, as well.”
"Even with our aggressiveness, we're still playmakers"
James Harden knows it's still a process learning to play with Kyrie Irving, but tonight's performance without Kevin Durant was a good step pic.twitter.com/IE1R13vDwU
— Nets Videos (@SNYNets) January 30, 2021
Knocking off a team that had previously beaten the Nets is a sign Harden and Irving are doing a good job of finding the exact balance the former touched upon. Their next test comes on Sunday against the Wizards.
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