When James Harden was traded to the Brooklyn Nets in mid-January, the offensive pattern he had in mind was a 136-125 victory on Monday night over the Sacramento Kings.
“This was the vision here – this game itself,” said Harden. “From top to bottom, it doesn’t matter when your number is called, you have to be ready to come in and contribute, no matter what. I think every guy has that mentality, and that’s already a caliber team.”
The Nets connected at 27 points out of 3 in Sacramento, setting a franchise record and placing two below the all-time Milwaukee Bucks mark. Seven of the nine Nets who played on Monday received a 3.
Harden had 29 points, 13 rebounds and 14 assists. It was his fifth triple-double since joining the Nets – already the triple-double with 20 more points in the franchise’s history, surpassing Jason Kidd, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.
Kyrie Irving, who scored 40 points and hit 15 out of 22 on the field, led the way to the Nets. He finished shooting 9 out of 11 beyond the arc. Irving and Harden combined scored or watched 112 points on Monday, according to the ESPN Stats & Information poll.
“It’s a movie,” said Harden of Irving. “It’s like a show. Sometimes I forget that I’m on the court. He makes it look so easy. It’s one of the reasons I’m here.”
Irving’s nine points of 3 were the second most in a competition in his career. He refused to speak to reporters after the game.
“He’s a magician with the ball,” said Nets striker Jeff Green of Irving. “I already said that once and I love seeing him when he is in that area. He is an excellent player and I am happy to be on his side and not on the opposite side this year. We are clicking on the right cylinders now.”
The Nets’ previous record of 24 made 3 points was set in 2018 against the Chicago Bulls. Against the Kings, Green drew the franchise standard at a 3 over the range assisted by Harden, with just over eight minutes remaining for the fourth period. Harden eclipsed the previous Nets mark shortly after with a 25 foot 3 pass from Green.
“This is the kind of offensive exit that we are capable of,” Brooklyn coach Steve Nash said after the game. “For us, it is really the defense that we are trying to continue working with.”