The Brooklyn Nets are riding a season-high five game winning streak thanks to strong bench play and consistency from James Harden as Kevin Durant deals with a hamstring issue — Kyrie Irving played a role, as well, but he also missed a game due to injury during this streak.
Brooklyn’s defense has also looked much better during this stretch, holding the Indiana Pacers and Los Angeles Lakers under 100 points. There’s still room to grow, but some long-awaited progress has come.
“It’s about time we turn the corner defensively,” Irving said on a Zoom call with reporters after the Nets’ 109-98 win in Los Angeles. “No team is going to win anything in this league if they don’t get stops. It’s about time. And we heard [Steve Nash] loud and clear in the last few games.
“It is one of our points of emphasis when we go into games, just stay connected not matter what. Stick to the game plan. We trust it, we’ve talked about it. So, just go out there and play, and play free and execute it — but we’re going to hold each other accountable.”
It appears Brooklyn’s last loss — a 122-111 finish in Detroit — was the catalyst for this sudden shift.
“That was a low for us, and it did provoke some conversations and kind of a rededication to what we’re trying to do,” Nash said. “I’m proud of the way they responded since then, obviously we’ve taken care of business.”
But, the road doesn’t end here Brooklyn. Now the Nets have to maintain this play on defense, just like they have on the other end of the floor.
This post originally appeared on NetsWire. Follow us on Facebook and Twitter!
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