Nets rise to the challenge with James Harden out, cruise past Bucks in Game 1
NEW YORK — This series, and perhaps Brooklyn’s very real title hopes, were altered in the first 20 seconds of Game 1 vs. the Milwaukee Bucks. Whether that becomes a defining moment will be up to the Nets’ healthy superstars, Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant, who rose to the challenge in a 115-107 victory.
James Harden came up limp on Brooklyn’s first possession, holding his right hamstring and retreating to the locker room. It’s the same strained hamstring that sabotaged Harden’s second half of the season, prompting him to sit 21 of the 23 final regular season games.
On Saturday, at least, the Nets didn’t skip a beat.
Durant dropped 29 points with 10 rebounds on 12-of-25 shooting, showing off his mid-range prowess and easily getting to his spots against PJ Tucker. Irving added 25 points with eight assists.
The Bucks got a big game from Giannis Antetokounmpo (34 points, 16-for-24 shooting) and little else. They dominated and swept the Heat in the first round, but were overwhelmed in Barclays Center after a week off to prepare for Brooklyn. The Nets finished the third quarter on a 24-13 run for a 14-point edge and never looked back.
The good news for the Nets is they’re accustomed to absences. The Big 3 played just eight games together in the regular season, and it’s tough to know whether they’ll get another one after Harden’s injury.
For context: Harden’s previous re-aggravation of the strain kept him out for over five weeks and 18 straight games.
The Nets, of course, traded two solid young players (Caris LeVert, Jarrett Allen), three first-round draft picks and four pick swaps for Harden, with the purpose of creating the league’s most dynamic trio.
So there’s a lot at stake for the present and future. A conference semis elimination would be a disaster, regardless of injuries. Harden was supposed to be the most durable of Brooklyn’s Big 3, but hamstrings are tricky and his clearly never fully healed.
The Nets provided no immediate timetable for his recovery, only that he was out for the game.
With Joel Embiid’s status in doubt for top-seeded Philly because of a knee injury, this second-round series carries the significance of a conference final. And with LeBron James eliminated, there’s sound logic behind labeling the winner of Nets-Bucks as the top choice to win the title.
The Nets entered Saturday favored over the Bucks, a team without the historical playoff success to match its regular-season dominance. Antetokounmpo and coach Mike Budenholzer have a lot to prove.
Their mission should be easier without Harden, who is gunning for his first title and an opportunity to shake a reputation of being a playoff letdown.
But a bum hammy perhaps altered his course. In Game 1, Irving and Durant didn’t let that affect their course.
