The Brooklyn Nets made headlines because they were embarking on a road trip with plenty of eyes on them, while being forced to play some big away games incredibly shorthanded. It's been the theme of the entire NBA recently for teams to not have their full arsenal available. But the Nets took things to another level when they at one point had ten players in health and safety protocols. Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving are still there. But James Harden was available for both games in his home town Los Angeles. And he delivered.

Harden took on LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers on Christmas Day. In that one he dropped 36 points, 10 assists, and 10 boards. No play bigger than this one, the lob to Georgia product Nic Claxton.

James Harden was the only member of the Nets big three and he came through, displaying some of his best burst of the season. The Beard has had a slow start to this year. The things that has been harped on ad nasueum explaining this is that he dealt with an off season hamstring issue, he had to adjust to new rule changes cracking down on some of his tricks, and the absence of Kyrie Irving.

He has also at times simply appeared to lack that signature bearded burst. And while he's had it at times, it hasn't quite been consistent. Harden is logging some of the most minutes in the NBA. He's fifth in the league with 36.5 minutes per game. And some of the Nets actually think him getting Covid, since he was asymptomatic, was a blessing in that he finally got to rest.

Harden first went into protocol following Dec. 10th tilt against the Atlanta Hawks. That gave him just over two weeks to rest. So did that break help him find his legs?

“Maybe yeah,” said Steve Nash following another big road win over the Los Angeles Clippers. “He definitely looked really sharp tonight. Was able to get downhill a lot and get in the paint and cause a lot of problems so just, he was outstanding.”

Harden followed up his Christmas Day masterpiece with another one.

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The Nets now are 23-9, and a ridiculous 13-3 away from Brooklyn… with Kyrie set to help them on the road even more in a couple of weeks.

What was James Harden doing while in protocols that he exploded in his first two games back? Here's what he told us on Christmas. “I was doing a lot of nothing. A lot of nothing. Video games, and yeah just watching [tv].”

Except when we asked his head coach, a couple days later, we learned James had been doing his “homework.” A little digging and Harden admitted he had some weights and some ways to do cardio in his apartment.

“From the jump against the Lakers and again tonight, he’s just been clinical,” said Nash. “Such a great head of the snake for us and when he plays like that, we’re very difficult to beat.”

What about the recipient of that monster lob poster over The King. “I definitely think the break benefitted [Harden], said Nic Claxton. “He in L.A., so he at home, putting on a show so hopefully we can continue this when we get everybody back it's gonna be scary hours for real.”

It was one thing when we expected Kyrie Irving to return to this unit. But if Harden is going to play like this? Look out.