With Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving out, James Harden presented an MVP performance to lead the Nets to victory.
He also took them to the top of the Eastern Conference.
After early sleepwalking and digging a huge hole, the Nets refused to rest on their laurels and went back to a 124-115 victory over the Pacers at the Bankers Life Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. And Harden was at the center of the rally.
The big 3 dropped to a big 1, but that was Harden, who had 40 points, 15 assists and 10 rebounds – just the second double triple of 40 points in the team’s history (joined Vince Carter in 2007). The Nets needed it all, as they recovered from a 16-point hole and a 96-92 deficit in the fourth quarter to reach the first draw with the 76ers in the East.
“It is not even triple-double, it is our effort. Especially in that second part, we did an incredible job defensively, just succeeding. That’s it, ”said Harden. “With 15 points lost and on the road – it’s a very solid team – we just keep on fighting, we show resilience. So it’s a great team win for us. “
The only other Nets win with Harden playing and Durant and Irving was in Phoenix. In that, Harden dumped 38 to pull them out of a 24-point hole. He made an encore on Wednesday.
“I don’t want to be down from 15. I don’t want to be down,” said Harden. “They are a good team. We turned the ball, we didn’t hit the ball in the first half. In the second part we did the opposite, we gave ourselves an opportunity.
“Obviously, we don’t want to get used to having KD and Kyrie off the schedule, but if we do, then the guys have to be ready to step on the scene.”
Despite going small at the start, the Nets really hit Indiana 15-4 on the offensive glass, and Nic Claxton (11 points, eight bags, plus-24) had a hand in that.
After losing 43-27 in the second quarter, the Nets were still losing 96-92, after a jump from TJ McConnell with 10:27 left. That was when Harden and Claxton took control in a decisive 17-4 race in the next five minutes.
It was the first time that Claxton was entrusted to end an NBA game, and the great man of the second year returned the faith of coach Steve Nash.
Harden’s finger scroll crowned the spurt and put the Nets ahead by 109-100 with 5:23 to go. When he found Claxton for a dead end, it was 115-106 with 1:12 remaining in regulation.
“I’ve definitely never played with anyone like [Harden]”Said Claxton. “He is definitely unique.”
Harden accumulated an entire game in the fourth period, playing every second and scoring 14 points, six bags and four assists, while the Pacers desperately tried to get the ball out of their hands.
“I will never take that for granted, but we are getting used to it. This is a room he had while they doubly formed him. Remarkable performance, without Ky. He made some huge plays in the final stretch, but overall that’s exactly what James demanded to do, ”said Nash. “Exceptional. Needless to say, James’s incredible performance.”
Claxton scored six points, four boards and two blocks in that fourth period. Although the Nets did drop coverage earlier with DeAndre Jordan, Claxton’s ability to switch helped finally slow Domantas Sabonis, who had 14 points in the first quarter, but none in the fourth.
“It shows that the coaching staff believes in me, but at the end of the day, it starts with just me believing in myself,” said Claxton. “A lot of people think we have changed all of our depth, but I have been around and people didn’t know that. So it’s good to be there, playing and doing my thing ”.
The Nets have won 14 of their last 15 games, and one of the NBA’s best six consecutive games. The victory, along with the 76ers’ defeat to the Bucks, left them tied at the top of the Eastern classification.
“To be honest, I don’t think we really think about it too much,” said Joe Harris, who scored 19 points. “In fact, we are simply trying to go out and win every night.”