Since the blockbuster trade that brought James Harden to the Nets, Brooklyn has struggled to get all of their star players on the floor at once. However, they are perfectly capable of getting the job done with just two out of the three, as seen tonight in the win over the Spurs.
Nets guard James Harden showed why he is in the running for MVP this season with another stellar performance. He led the team with 30 points and also added 15 assists and 14 rebounds. Efficient from the field and creating for teammates, Harden would not be denied. Kyrie Irving also added 27 points while shooting 60% from three.
The Nets also got great contributions from some of the lesser-known players on the team. Guard Bruce Brown finished with 23 points while shooting 10-13 from the field. Brown has stepped up in a big way for the Nets over these last few weeks. In his past 5 games, Brown is averaging 15.4 points per game while shooting 64% from the field. Forward Nic Claxton also added 17 off the bench tonight for the Nets
Spurs guard Dear Derozan had a team-high 22 points in the loss. Dejounte Murray and Lonnie Walker IV both added 17 points apiece. After trailing for most of the game, the Spurs clawed back to within two with 40 seconds remaining. After a miss from Irving, Murray grabbed the ball and hit a spectacular shot to send the game to overtime.
While the Spurs did well to get to the extra period, they could not muster enough offense to push them to victory. San Antonio shot 2-9 from the field in overtime, scoring just 5 points. A valiant effort, Harden and Irving’s combined efforts were too much for the Spurs on the night.
