James Harden was the lone member of Brooklyn’s big three to take the floor on Saturday against the Philadelphia 76ers as Kyrie Irving deals with a finger injury and Kevin Durant sits out due to NBA health and safety protocols. But even after their 124-108 loss to the 76ers, The Beard wasn’t interested in using Durant and Irving’s absence as a crutch.
“A lot of guys that don’t have an opportunity go a lot of opportunity tonight, and it’s going to be that way for the next couple games depending on when they allow KD to come back and when Kai comes back,” Harden said on a Zoom call with reporters after Saturday’s loss. “So, no excuses for us. Guys got to step up and play big minutes and contribute. Obviously, we played against a really good Sixers team tonight. But, get some rest and try to get some wins.”
James Harden's biggest takeaway from tonight:
"No excuses for us. Guys gotta step up and play big minutes and contribute" pic.twitter.com/M0ajPxnyUH
— Nets Videos (@SNYNets) February 7, 2021
To no one’s surprise, Harden led the Nets with 26 points on Saturday, but it was a little bit of a stunner to see Landry Shamet to score 22 against Philly. A couple more performances like that from the reserve guard would go a long way over the next couple games.
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