Nets player grades: Harden triple-double leads Brooklyn to win in San Antonio

The Brooklyn Nets went to San Antonio and played a tight brand of basketball en route to a 117-102 win Friday night. On the back of a James Harden 37-point triple-double, the Nets improved to 29-16 on the season. Despite being without forward Kevin Durant, Brooklyn was able to put together a relatively complete offensive performance by leaning on its other stars and getting a few key bench contributions.

The Nets were down by one at halftime but blew the Spurs out of the water in the second half, outscoring them 67-51. The team shot 27-for-49 from the floor and 6-for-11 from three in the second half. The two sides were about even on most statistics throughout the night, but Brooklyn’s shot-making ability propelled them past Gregg Popovich’s Spurs once again.

A 15-point fourth quarter from Kyrie Irving and a couple of dagger threes from Harden sealed the Spurs’ fate on Fiesta Night in San Antonio.

Here are some player grades from the Nets performance.

Kessler Edwards: B+

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There are very few occasions in which someone could earn such a high mark despite having just five points. Edwards did not have his best shooting night, but for a rookie to stay engaged and active off the ball throughout a game despite going 2-for-7 from the floor is impressive.

Edwards had five rebounds, three steals and a block to go with his five points. His plus-20 on the night also led the team.

It was the fourth consecutive game where he has finished with 30 or more minutes played and he’s lived up to the billing thus far.

Patty Mills: C+

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It was a tale of two halves in guard Patty Mills’ return to the city he used to call home. He struggled mightily in the first half, going 0-for-6 in his first 14 minutes of action. It picked up for him in the second half, though, as he finished the game 4-for-5 with a three, four rebounds and three assists. He had one particularly nice dribble move to get open for a midrange jumper in the third quarter as well.

Overall, it likely wasn’t the night Mills hoped for back in San Antonio, but his second-half helped push the team in the right direction.

Day'Ron Sharpe: A-

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Rookie center Day’Ron Sharpe’s night was a curious one. He did the bits when he was on the floor but just did not get starter minutes despite being named among the first five. It wasn’t even Sharpe’s fault that he wasn’t on the court considering he had just one foul in his 14 minutes.

Regardless, Sharpe had a rock-solid night with six points on 3-for-6 shooting and 10 rebounds. In the end, most of his minutes went to veteran LaMarcus Aldridge, which was understandable as it was his return to San Antonio as well.

Kyrie Irving: A-

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Irving had some of his magic working for him Friday. He was more or less getting whatever he wanted when he was on, using his handles and speed to turn the corner into the paint or stopping on a dime for a blindingly fast midrange pull-up. The only thing is, he was only really on for two main stretches of the game.

He had a good first quarter, scoring seven of his 24 points on 3-for-7 shooting, but then disappeared for a while. He had just two more points until he erupted for 15 in the final quarter.

Still, the points count no matter when they’re scored and he put on a show when his name was called. He had three personal fouls and he could’ve been more involved in the offense, which is what knocks him down here a bit.

James Harden: A+

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Harden had it going on once again Friday. From tip to buzzer, whenever he was on the court he was making things happen. He got his teammates involved, was aggressive with his shooting opportunities, got to the line as he likes to and limited the turnovers overall.

He finished the night with 37 points, 11 assists, 10 rebounds and a block. He shot 13-for-24 from the floor, 4-for-8 from three and a perfect 7-for-7 from the line. He also could’ve had at least three or four more assists if his teammates were able to handle some of his riskier passes.

Bench

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LaMarcus Aldridge: A
Blake Griffin: B+
Bruce Brown: B+
James Johnson: D

The Brooklyn bench accounted for 36 of their total 117 points Friday, with Aldridge leading the charge. He was an efficient 8-for-14 from the field, with a ton of his patented midrange opportunities. He also grabbed seven boards, dished two assists and locked a shot. Overall a very solid return to San Antonio for the veteran big man.

Blake Griffin and Bruce Brown each checked into the game for the first time together in the second quarter and both made an impact. Griffin got more offensive looks en route to his 10 points, shooting 50% on the day. Brown didn’t make much noise until a flurry of defensive activity in the fourth quarter, helping to put a nail in the coffin.

James Johnson played 15 minutes but went 0-for-2 with a rebound and three personal fouls.

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