Joe Harris, Landry Shamet, Nets rain threes on Hornets

  • Oops!
    Something went wrong.
    Please try again later.
  • Oops!
    Something went wrong.
    Please try again later.
  • Oops!
    Something went wrong.
    Please try again later.
  • Oops!
    Something went wrong.
    Please try again later.

If it’s not James Harden, it’s Kyrie Irving. If it’s not Irving, it’s Kevin Durant. If it’s not Durant, Irving, or Harden, it’s Joe Harris or Landry Shamet. And if it’s not one of those two sharpshooters, then, and only then, are the Nets in trouble.

Harden (hamstring) did not play against the Hornets on Wednesday, and Irving had a somewhat forgettable performance by his own standards. But the Nets’ depth, even after LaMarcus Aldridge’s sudden and unexpected retirement from a heart complication, compensated where their starpower fell short.

The Nets defeated Charlotte at home, 130-115, by flexing their muscle as a collective rather than the individual superpowers of its three, wait two, err, one-and-a-half stars.

Irving didn’t hit double figures until the fourth quarter, but by then, the damage had already been done. Harris was unconscious from three and hit six of his nine attempts from downtown. His night included a barrage of step-back, side-step and escape-dribble threes he wouldn’t have dared to attempt three years ago.

Shamet also hit six threes off the bench, with the Barclays Center crowd clamoring for him to let it fly every time he touched the ball with space in front of him. By the time Harris and Shamet tallied 12 combined threes, the Hornets had still only made 10 on the night as a team.

For a Nets team that lives and dies by the three, a 21-of-41 shooting night was as good as they can ask for.

The Nets got off to a slow start, and the Hornets took an early 14-point lead. Charlotte’s Miles Bridges took advantage of the Nets’ interior and scored 33 points on a variety of high-flying dunks and open threes, which he made six of, as well.

The Hornets, however, did not have their star. LaMelo Ball will miss the rest of the season with a fractured wrist. Meanwhile, Durant dribbled up-court and shot over defenders as if they never existed. The All-Star captain put up 25 points and 11 assists, making eight of his 12 attempts on the night.

The Nets are entering the home stretch of the season with just 16 games left on the schedule, but 10 of them will be on the road. Their next game is important: It’s a South Beach showdown with the defending East champion Miami Heat. The Heat acquired Victor Oladipo at the trade deadline and are now positioned to challenge, once again, for the Eastern Conference crown.

The Nets still aren’t expected to welcome Harden back for another few days, but if their shooters are shooting like they did against the Hornets, they stand a chance any night of the week.