There are stars that have parallel lives. Some are of fortune, others the permanent shadow of suspicion about their own figures or the team. This is the case of the Brooklyn Nets and the Philadelphia 76ers at the start of the NBA regular season. From the beginning they did not hide that their goal is to visit the jeweler -win-, but their defects are so serious that the doubt is total. And those stars have to emerge again and again.
Those of the prestigious neighborhood of Prospect Heights in Brooklyn still don’t know very well what they are in season key. As happens with another criticized team, the Lakers, they closed their conference with only one victory and Durant had to redeem them at home. More complex than it seemed, against a Pacers that will lose much more than they will win. They quickly opened a great run of 24-43 in the quarter hour, but the Indiana team got into the matter in the last quarter (100-100, 42′).
Kevin Durant appeared to punish in the final minutes, and O’Neale plus Irving contributed. Victory without too much brilliance (116-109), but exhibit of the ‘Easy Money Sniper’. 36 + 9 + 7 and the tribute, because he surpassed Vince Carter as the 19th highest scorer in NBA history. “It’s a pride. My first shirt was Vince’s in the Raptors,” he confessed at the end. A legend who redeems his team.
Harden reaches a goal
Not too far, in Washington, James Harden also had to pull his own. As he has been doing all year, because the Philadelphia 76ers do not have Joel Embiid -foot problems- 100% and requires something more than ‘1’. He complies, from a base position that favors him because his vision of the game is gifted. The success in the shot penalizes him, although in the ‘DC’ he fulfilled both parts.
With a huge 23+7+17 he punished the Wizards. Personal assist record and historical player record. I broke up, along with secondaries like Harrell or Niang, the game at the end of the third quarter (83-76) and that part did not fall. Another victory for a ‘slow fire’ Sixers, little defense and hard criticism. As with the Nets. Their third in a row lets them breathe… Time will tell in Brooklyn.
