The Brooklyn Nets (now 12-5) are in sole possession of first place. The Nets hosted the last place, (now 4-12) Orlando Magic, but Brooklyn was very short-handed so it was no cake walk. James Harden was able to lead a short-handed Nets squad by exorcising some of his early-season demons. He got to the free throw line early and often. Harden finished with 36 points, 8 assists, 10 rebounds, and while he was only 7 of 25 from the floor, he knocked down 19 of 20 free throws; including a pair late which made it a four-point game as the Barclays faithful serenaded the former MVP with some familiar MVP chants. This season it's usually Kevin Durant who hears those but tonight was The Beard's night.
After the game Harden's team had some interesting reactions to his free throw parade.
Kevin Durant missed his first game of the season with the shoulder issue that has bugged him since a loss to the Chicago Bulls in early. Before the game, Steve Nash offered an update on that situation. The Nets were already without Paul Millsap (personal reasons), Joe Harris (ankle), Nic Claxton (non-COVID illness) and during the game Bruce Brown left with a new (being called a hamstring) injury.
But they still had Harden, LaMarcus Aldridge, and got some surprise contributions from folks like James Johnson (17 points, 10 rebounds) and Patty Mills (22 points) off the bench.
One major story this season has been Harden's slow start and how the new rules (and his return from a hamstring injury he sustained last season) aimed at non-basketball plays have limited his efficiency. But he's been getting to the line more recently. He has 63 total free throw attempts in his last five outings. His 20 free throw attempts on Friday was a season high as were the 19 makes.
Asked after the game if he has seen a difference in the way his teammate is being officiated, or how Harden is attacking, Patty Mills said he loved how James was getting downhill.
“Just playing downhill and being able to get paint touches,” said Mills. “He's obviously being strong with the ball too and knowing that if he doesn't get the call he can play through it and still make the layup, or make the floater, or make the pass. But whenever he's able to get into the paint great things happen for us.”
What about coach Nash, does he think Harden is getting to the line more recently because the refs are changing their ways or because Harden is having more success getting to his spots lately? “I think both,” said the Nets coach. “I do think though that the referees are starting to figure out what's still a foul. What's still a basketball foul and whats a non-basketball play or whatever the mandate says. I think early it was difficult for them to know where the line was.”
As for Harden himself, he didn't want to talk about the subject at all. It seems like some excellent fine avoidance since the NBA makes players pay for criticizing the officials even when they deserve it.
“I don't wanna talk about no free throws. I'm just trying to attack the basket,” said Harden, diplomatically. He has attempted at least eleven freebies in four of the Nets' last five games.
His head coach didn't just think it was the refs settling in to a new normal. He also likes what he's seeing from his star.
“He's such a difficult guy to cover with his size, speed, quickness,” praised Nash. “Ability to shoot over anyone from 3 that guys have to get too close to him and then he's so strong that once he gets a slight angle on you or a step on you it's almost impossible not to foul him. It's either get out of the way or you're gonna draw contact, so you know that's what makes him brilliant is his ability to penetrate, to take contact, and to be able to dictate what happens when the contact happens.”
Harden has had breakout games before this season. He got up 19 free throws in a single win over the Pacers back on October 29th. But then over his next six games he only got 21 free throw attempts. So he's been a bit inconsistent. But if he's going to continue playing this way, and putting pressure on opposing defenses, the Nets can actually build on a record that already has them in first place. Maybe it wouldn't exactly be “scary times” until Kyrie Irving came back. But it might be at least nervous times. He seems like he might be rounding into form a bit here.
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