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The final little piece simply dropped into James Harden’s palms, however he’d achieved greater than sufficient to earn in at that time. With the sport’s remaining rebound, Harden secured his eleventh triple-double since becoming a member of the Brooklyn Nets in mid-January, and the Nets wanted each little bit of it in a 124-115 win over the Indiana Pacers on Wednesday evening.
With the Nets enjoying with out Kyrie Irving, and with Kevin Durant nonetheless sidelined, Harden stepped ahead to play 42 minutes and rating 40 factors with 15 assists and 10 rebounds. It was simply the second 40-point triple-double within the franchise’s NBA historical past, the one earlier prevalence delivered by Vince Carter in April 2007.
In doing so, Harden scored 14 of Brooklyn’s remaining 30 factors because the Nets pulled away in a sport they as soon as trailed by 16 factors, successful for the 14th time of their final 15 video games and transferring right into a tie for first place within the Jap Convention with a 28-13 file because the Philadelphia 76ers misplaced to the Milwaukee Bucks.
“I’ll by no means take it as a right, however we’re getting used to it,” mentioned Nets head coach Steve Nash of Harden’s efficiency. “That’s 1 / 4 he had whereas they had been double-teaming him quite a lot of the quarter. Exceptional efficiency, with out Ky. He made some enormous performs down the stretch, however total it was simply such calls for on James to ship. His teammates had been nice. Tyler (Johnson) was excellent. Jeff Inexperienced was excellent. All the opposite guys performed their half, however James was the primary man as we’ve come to count on and we will’t take as a right. He made a few of these powerful floaters once more down the stretch, made his free throws, received rebounds and quarterbacked the protection in stretches. Excellent. Goes with out saying fairly unimaginable efficiency from James.”
Slightly below three minutes into the fourth quarter, Harden’s runner within the lane tied the sport at 96, getting the Nets even for the primary time because the first quarter. That was a part of a 13-2 run that left Brooklyn main 105-98 halfway via the quarter. One other floater within the lane — Harden was a recurring nightmare for the Pacers on penetration within the fourth quarter — made it a 10-point sport. When Indiana received again with 4 factors, Harden made a free throw, then beat the shot clock with — sure — one other floater within the lane for a 118-11 lead with 35.7 seconds remaining.
Harden led seven Nets scoring in double-figures, with Joe Harris subsequent with 19 factors on 5-of-7 taking pictures from 3-point vary.
Inexperienced had and Johnson had 15 factors every, with Inexperienced grabbing 9 rebounds as nicely. Nic Claxton and Bruce Brown had 11 every, with Claxton including eight rebounds. DeAndre Jordan had 10 factors.
Brooklyn outrebounded Indiana 50-34, with a season-high 15 offensive rebounds that they transformed into 18 second-chance factors.
“I simply stored preaching to guys earlier than the sport that it is the subsequent man up,” mentioned Harden. “Whoever has the chance to the touch that ground be able to go. Know your assignments, know what you are purported to be doing and keep locked intimately clever. We do not make excuses. Guys are out and in of lineups however whoever’s within the lineup, whoever’s suiting up, be able to go, be able to carry out and do no matter it takes to assist our staff get the win. That is the type of mindset we have been on so nothing fazes us at this level.”
Trailing by 16 factors within the opening minute of the second quarter, the Nets received again to inside three at halftime. They’d given up 40 factors within the first quarter and struggled for an offensive rhythm, taking pictures 34.8 % in that opening quarter. After chopping that 16-point deficit all the way down to 9, the Nets put collectively a 7-2 run to get inside 49-45 halfway via the quarter. Harden’s 3-pointer made it a 61-58 sport on the break.
Indiana pushed its lead again as much as 9 factors with an 87-78 benefit late within the third quarter earlier than Brooklyn closed the quarter with an 11-4 run. Johnson completed a runner, Harden made two free throws after which scored within the lane. Inexperienced’s dunk made it 89-86, after which on the ultimate possession of the quarter Inexperienced tapped out an offensive rebound proper to Harris, who knocked down a top-of-the-key three to deliver the Nets inside 91-89 going into the fourth quarter.
“I assumed we got here out just a little gradual, and just a little flat,” mentioned Nash. “We instructed them it wasn’t gonna be straightforward. We needed to actually scrap. I imply, what a efficiency. Everybody took their flip, making performs for the staff, placing in shift. It took quite a lot of guts to win that sport, so I am actually proud total for the trouble however I believe we did have a gradual begin after which had been actually good after that.”
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