OKLAHOMA CITY – Even as the NBA’s second leading scorer put out the Brooklyn Nets on Friday equaled a franchise record for most points in a regulatory game, dropping 147 on the Oklahoma City Thunder in a 22-game win marks.
“We’re getting there … We’re slowly descending forward on both sides of the floor,” coach Steve Nash said. “We struggled defensively at times, but we become defenders with our game plan. Offensively, you start to flow a little more. You see James [Harden] able to manage the game this way and manipulate the defense. ‘
By the quarter, the Nets scored 36, 40, 39 and 32, building up an early lead and pushing consistently. They shot 57% of the field, scored 19 tries and had 33 teams.
As Kevin Durant sits as part of a rest plan as he continues to work back from his Achilles injury, Kyrie Irving and Harden take the reins, taking 50 points – 25 each.
“We catch a rhythm, of course, offensive,” Harden said. “But also defensively. We learn our strengths and our weaknesses and things we can get better at.”
The offensive explosion of the Nets is gradually building up, with ten of their last 11 games containing at least 110 points. But they were, to put it well, also mediocre on the defensive side. The Thunder, who entered the last game in offensive efficiency, still yielded 125 points while shooting 46.5% off the floor.
‘There’s a celebrity growing on both sides of the floor. [But] “We have a long way to go defensively,” Nash said. It’s not our strong or strong case, but we need to be clean with our game plan and talk and participate in our actions. “
Harden and Irving spend different parts of the game orchestrating solo, while Nash keeps their minutes waiting. But there were also long stretches in which each other played, with Harden doing his usual insulation-on-and-off thing, while Irving flashed his finishing touches in the paint.
“I will always say that I will not take any day for granted. It does not happen often in history where you have this group together at this stage,” Irving said. “Some of the guys started in their respective teams last year; some of them are MVP candidates. And to have all the collective talent and not utilize the best, we are doing ourselves a disservice. So want to continue to to push each other and hold each other accountable. ‘
Harden attributed that overall communication between the group improved, while commands, coverage, and adjustments were clearly mentioned throughout the course of the game. Irving and Harden were top of the standings, but there was also an impressive balance in the game, with nine players finishing in double figures in total.
“It’s very satisfying when you get a win, but when the whole team plays well and you do some good things as a collective group, it definitely stands out from the rest,” Irving said.
The Nets have won four consecutive games and have been 6-2 since making the trade for Harden. Sometimes there were some rough spots, with Harden expanding, being less involved in the offense, or dipping Irving’s efficiency, but the chemistry is building, Nash said, and is something he just expects to improve.
“Offensive, I think guys get a feel and rhythm for each other, how guys like to play, where they like the ball, how they want to move, cut and play each other,” he said.
Harden said the Nets are watching the process and note that it will only get harder as the season progresses. As the games get bigger and the season gets smaller, more attention will be paid to the Nets’ chemistry and how it is performed.
“We will be challenged every night; we will have everyone’s best chance,” Irving said, “but what we are doing now is just finding the continuity to harness the strengths we have.”