PHILADELPHIA – After the Brooklyn Nets needed to score 16 of the final 17 points and a Kevin Durant triple-double to win their first game of the season, coach Steve Nash said he loved the competitiveness he saw, but also set early expectations. for his title contender.
“It’s not going to be pretty for a while here,” Nash said after the Nets ‘114-109 win that ruined the Sixers’ home opener. “We have to keep fighting, play for each other and figure out ways to compete and stay engaged while figuring out rotations and combinations and what it’s all about.”
Nash also said that his two stars, Durant and James Harden, are not only learning all the new pieces on the Brooklyn roster, but they are also figuring out how to play without Kyrie Irving. Nash has been preaching patience while experimenting with large and small lineups and different rotations. Harden, however, said he and Durant will figure out how to lead the team while Irving is absent.
“We are the best at what we do, we will figure it out,” Harden said. “I personally have been through a lot where I had different teammates, different lineups, and played small ball, so I’m used to trying to figure it out and just go with the flow and make it work. We have a really good team and We will resolve it.
“Kevin is the same way and one of the best at touching a basketball. So we have to go out there and do what we do and things will work out.”
After the Nets were defeated 127-104 by defending champion Milwaukee Bucks on the road in the season opener, Brooklyn got off to another slow start that saw them fall behind 20-6 to a Philadelphia team dealing with their own drama around. star point guard Ben Simmons.
Durant, however, had the second triple-double of his career as a Net late in the third quarter before finishing with 29 points, 15 rebounds and 12 assists. Trailing 108-98 with 5:33 remaining, he found LaMarcus Aldridge for a basket before drilling a 16-foot jumper.
Aldridge was excellent for the Nets, scoring nine of his 23 points in the final 5:16. The big man, who retired last April due to heart problems before receiving medical clearance to return, was 10 of 12 correct and scored 23 points. New Net Patty Mills continued to take advantage of Irving’s absence with 11 points off the bench. Mills has made his first 10 3-point shots of the regular season.
“I think they’re excited for their new teammates,” Nash said of Durant and Harden, who had 20 points, eight assists and seven rebounds. “But it takes time to find that rhythm and combinations. And we also lost a great piece. [Irving]”It’s not just the new pieces, it’s the void that we’re used to playing with. It’s, it’s a lot for us to take on right now. But hopefully, in the next few weeks, we’ll start cleaning up some of the debris, so on. say it, and find out how we can play better together. “
Durant said each game will present a new challenge for him and Harden. In Philadelphia, Durant felt the need to score early before getting into the paint and making plays for his teammates due to Philadelphia’s defensive coverage.
“We weren’t planning on having to do this, but you know, it’s good for us to make adjustments,” Durant said of playing without Irving. “It’s good for guys who weren’t expecting to play bigger roles to take on those roles and see who we are. This is the situation we were in, and I think a lot of guys have taken advantage of it.
“For James and me, it seems that each game can be different and we may have to do different things than we think at the start of the season. But everything is fine. It will always help us improve.”
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