[ad_1]
NEW YORK — James Harden was in his bag Friday evening, dribbling, creating house, draining 3s and letting everybody know that he was beginning to really feel extra like himself as he yelled out throughout a timeout whereas clenching his fists and flexing his arms.
Harden additionally was lastly again at a spot he is aware of nicely — the free throw line. After going to the road a mixed 15 instances in his first 5 video games, Harden went 16-for-19 from the stripe and scored a season-high 29 factors to go together with eight assists and eight rebounds to assist the Nets take a 105-98 win over the Indiana Pacers at Barclays Middle.
This was, by far, Harden’s greatest recreation of the season after getting off to a gradual begin and averaging 16.6 factors getting into Friday.
“It wasn’t 30, clearly,” mentioned Harden, who admitted on Wednesday that his physique and recreation aren’t fairly on the level the place he can rating 30 or 40 factors an evening. “I maintain saying it — each single recreation, I really feel good, I really feel higher as we speak, I proceed to work on off days and non-game days, and on recreation days proceed to get to the basket and shoot my photographs.
“Nothing’s gonna change. Ultimately issues are gonna occur the place it is constant and I am on the market taking part in [like] myself.”
Earlier this week, Nets coach Steve Nash mentioned he thought Harden had unfairly develop into the “poster boy” for this season’s guidelines adjustments, with officers cracking down on “overt, abrupt or irregular non-basketball strikes” of ball handlers wanting to attract fouls.
Earlier than Friday evening’s recreation, Harden had not gone to the road greater than 4 instances in a recreation this season. However in opposition to the Pacers, he went to the road 9 instances within the second quarter alone, when he scored 13 factors.
This was the 72nd recreation in his profession through which Harden made a minimum of 15 free throws, probably the most in NBA historical past, in accordance with ESPN Stats & Info analysis.
“It was simply me being aggressive,” Harden mentioned. “The primary couple of video games I wasn’t aggressive. I used to be aggressive in spurts, however simply attempting to be aggressive for 4 quarters. I had that burst, that velocity of attending to my spots, whether or not I used to be attending to the basket or taking pictures my photographs. I felt fairly good on the market for a whole recreation.”
Whereas Harden scored 21 factors within the first half, Kevin Durant had 18 of his 22 factors by halftime. Their 39 mixed factors had been probably the most they’ve scored as Nets teammates within the first half.
The Nets, although, had been lucky to have Durant obtainable within the fourth quarter. After play was stopped with a foul whereas Durant was driving, he fired the basketball into the stands with 4:40 remaining within the third quarter.
Crew chief Sean Wright informed a pool reporter after the sport that in actual time, the official who made the decision did not suppose the ball entered the stands with power.
“After seeing the video postgame, we did see that the ball did go into the stands with power,” Wright mentioned. “And Kevin Durant ought to’ve been ejected.”
Durant mentioned he was attempting to hit the backboard and should not have even completed that.
“I do not know, man, I believed I used to be on the health club on my own and in a pickup recreation, not an NBA recreation,” Durant mentioned of his lapse. “And I am unable to do this. I may have value my workforce the sport. However it will not occur once more — I hope so.”
Durant added: “I did not know you possibly can get ejected over that. I am glad I stayed within the recreation. I am positive a hefty superb is coming, however I do not thoughts giving.”
LaMarcus Aldridge helped choose up the slack for the Nets, scoring 9 of his 21 factors within the fourth quarter to assist Brooklyn maintain off a pesky Pacers workforce.
The 16-year veteran additionally turned the forty eighth participant to achieve 20,000 profession factors and simply the seventh lively participant to take action, becoming a member of Harden and Durant. It was a milestone that Aldridge did not suppose he would attain after he retired final April resulting from experiencing an irregular heartbeat. He was medically cleared to return this season.
“It feels good, man,” Aldridge mentioned. “A real blessing. Undoubtedly did not suppose it was going to occur after what occurred final yr. Caught with it, fall again and positively felt good to get it completed and be again on the market. Simply really feel blessed.”
[ad_2]
Source link