James Harden was the only member of the Brooklyn big three to take the floor Saturday against the Philadelphia 76ers as Kyrie Irving is dealing with a finger injury and Kevin Durant is sitting out because of NBA health and safety protocols. But even after a 124-108 loss to the 76ers, The Beard had no interest in using Durant and Irving ‘s absence as a crutch.
“A lot of people who don’t have a chance will have a lot of chances tonight, so it will be for the next couple games depending on when they let KD come back and when Kai comes back, Harden called Zoom with reporters after Saturday’s loss. “So there is no excuse for us. Guys stepped up and played big minutes and contributed. Obviously, we played against a very good Sixers team tonight. However, take some rest and try to reap some benefits. “
To the surprise of anyone, Harden led the Nets with 26 points Saturday, but it was a bit strange to see Landry Shamet to score 22 against Philly. One or two other shows like that from the reserve guard would go far beyond the next couple games.
This post first appeared on NetsWire. Follow us on Facebook and Twitter!