Upon finding out the news that Kevin Durant (shoulder) would not be available in this contest, the Nets knew Friday’s matchup with the Orlando Magic wouldn’t be as easy as originally expected.. The Magic recognized this too right off the tip off and they capitalized by opening up a 19-point lead. James Harden led a comeback for the Nets to get a win that moved Brooklyn to the top of the Eastern Conference standings.
It all started on the defensive end for the Nets. After Orlando scored 41 points in just the first period, Brooklyn clamped down on that end to hold them to 21 points for both the second and third quarter. It was only a matter of time before the offense caught up and it most certainly did.
James Harden (36 PTS, 10 REBS, 8 ASTS) was willing his way to the free-throw line and he made 19 of his 20 shots from the stripe. Patty Mills (22 PTS) came through as well, putting up his second consecutive 20-point performance as a starter on 9-of-13 accuracy from the field.
Off the bench, James Johnson (17 PTS, 10 REBS) gave Brooklyn some much needed energy, especially on defense, and his 8-of-11 shooting from the field only put the icing on the cake. For LaMarcus Aldridge (15 PTS, 5 REBS), he was able to make some timely shots in the fourth quarter for the Nets and it was just enough to help seal the deal.
Head coach Steve Nash’s squad finished the contest with an impressive 13 blocks while also turning over the ball over only 11 times. The team’s shooting wasn’t up to par from deep, going 30% from downtown, but again, it was just enough.
Brooklyn will be back in action on Monday against the Cleveland Cavaliers at the Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse in Cleveland.