NETS’ BIG THREE IS A BIT SHORT
Kyrie returns to team with Harden, KD but B’klyn still falls to Cavs in two OTs
The Nets made their first 10 shots, missed their next 11, then didn’t get their rhythm back until late midway through the fourth quarter. That was when they decided to start playing defense. It was too little, too late.
It took two overtimes for the Cavaliers to send a message to Brooklyn through a 147135 shootout on Wednesday night: Defense wins championships. Star power sells seats and views.
An early flash of offensive brilliance from Brooklyn’s new Big 3 of Kevin Durant, James Harden and
Kyrie Irving was railroaded by a string of missed shots, sloppy turnovers and an inability to get stops on the other end. The Nets gave the ball away seven times in the first quarter alone, trailed 28-23 entering the second period and as many as 14 in the fourth quarter before turning the switch on in the fourth.
Defense, unlike starpower, cannot be generated at a whim. It must be embedded into the DNA of a team, and the Nets have yet to establish a defensive identity.
It was not-so scary hours for most of the night, as the ghosts of Nets’ past haunted Brooklyn’s purportedly spooky dreams. Jarrett Allen dominated off the bench, and ultimately closed the game over Mt. Vernon’s Andre Drummond. Allen and Taurean Prince — each of whom were traded to Cleveland as part of the Harden trade — combined for 29 points, 18 rebounds, six assists and five blocks..
The Brooklyn Big 3 offensive firepower was apparent. Durant, Harden and Irving combined for 96 of the team’s 135 points, including 42 of their last 57. In his first game back from personal leave, Irving started off razor-sharp, leading the way with 37 points on 15-of-28 shooting. In his return to familiar territory, he couldn’t seal the deal down the stretch, shooting just 3-of-8 from the field across both overtimes.
“This was the first night that we’ve had everyone on the floor together. We seemed a little lost at times, which is natural because we haven’t played together, so there’s a little indecision,” Nash said. “I stay positive. These guys, first night out together, just getting a feel for each other, and this is gonna be a process. It’s gonna take the entire year. While we’re all disappointed, we’ve got lots to build on, lots to grow, and lots more opportunities.”
Meanwhile, the Nets defense couldn’t stop anybody on the Cavs roster. In Irving’s first game back in Cleveland as a Net, it felt like Collin Sexton’s homecoming. Sexton, a third-year guard who played at Alabama under Avery Johnson, had a career night, finishing with 42 points, including 15 points in the second overtime alone. He hit a contested three-pointer over Irving’s arm that tied the game at 127 with just a second left to go.
“He was 1-for-6 (from three) to start before he made that three to go into overtime and then, what’d he make? 4 in a row?” Durant said. “Yeah he made 4 in a row. You know, you’ve got to tip your hat to him. They made shots.”
The spookiest thing about tonight’s game was the mismanagement of load management. Durant and Harden each played 50 minutes, Irving played 48, and veteran forward Jeff Green played 45. In a game that doesn’t matter in the grand scheme of the season, the Nets gave their stars a heavy load.
Nash said he rode his starters in part because they had it going, but also in part because of a lack of trust with a bench that could not keep up with the Cavaliers.
“A little bit of both. First of all, we found ourselves in a hole. The second unit got beat up pretty good there in the second quarter,” he said. “We relied on our star players. So, you know, when you get yourself in a dogfight, when you’re trying to climb out of a hole it’s hard to really go to the bench.”
The Nets will stay in Cleveland to play another game against the Cavaliers and will need to step their defense up. They will also need to do a better job of stopping Sexton. His career night could be the beginning of a bright career.