Getty James Harden #13 of the Brooklyn Nets reacts during the second half of the NBA game against the Phoenix Suns.
The Nets got off to a slow start as they trailed by as many as 16 points to the Houston Rockets in the first half. The Nets came into Wednesday looking to win their third straight game when they faced the Rockets at Barclays Center. Brooklyn had to climb back into the game and ended up winning in a big way.
The Nets would go on to lead by as many as 15 points in the fourth quarter as they escaped with a 120-108 victory. However, the victory cost them the health of James Harden who had to leave the game in the second half with a hamstring injury.
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Steve Nash Gives Key Update on James Harden
Nets head coach Steve Nash gave a key update on Harden’s injury following Brooklyn’s victory over the Rockets.
“We’re gonna monitor it. I don’t have a lot to tell you,” Nash said of Harden’s hamstring per Kristian Winfield of the New York Daily News.
“We feel confident it’s not a long-term thing.”
Just when it seemed like the Nets would finally get a chance to put their three stars on the floor at the same time again before the end of the season another one goes down.
Steve Nash on James Harden’s hamstring: “We’re gonna monitor it. I don’t have a lot to tell you. We feel confident it’s not a long-term thing.”
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Nets Now Atop of the East
Kyrie Irving led the Nets to victory with a big performance against Houston. The star point guard had a stat line of 36 points, 12 assists, and 6 rebounds.
The Nets took over sole possession of the number one seed in the Eastern Conference with Wednesday’s win over Houston. It is the first time that the Nets have held the conference’s top seed since 2003.
Kyrie spoke on what it meant for the team to achieve such a feat in his second season with the Nets.
“I think it says a lot of different things. You know I don’t know if I can necessarily pinpoint everything in terms of what we’ve been through, but I think I’ve been able to learn throughout this process what it takes to build something special or something different or unique,” Kyrie said of being the number one seed per SNY.
“And how much sacrifice it takes to show up every day, do your job at a high level and then depend on the person next to you to do their job at a high level and it’s not just a concept. It’s less about the actions that we put forth and more about the energy we put forth.”
“We’ve been able to learn throughout this process what it takes to build something special – something different and unique”
Kyrie Irving reflects on the Nets being in first place in the East
Sixers Still in Play for Top Seed
Not far behind the Nets is the second-place Philadelphia 76ers who will be getting their All-Star and MVP candidate Joel Embiid back into the lineup. Embiid has been away from the team for the last three weeks due to a knee injury
He will return on Saturday when the Sixers take on the Minnesota Timberwolves.
The verdict on Harden’s ankle still looms but Kevin Durant’s return is on the horizon. Having a wealth of talent on their roster is already paying dividends for the Nets.
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