After James Harden was listed as questionable for Tuesday’s game in Portland and “struggling” with a pain in his neck according to Steve Nash, the former MVP went through a warm-up before the game before being released and put back in the starting lineup.
Harden was injured in a collision with Washington’s Garrison Matthews at the end of the first half of Sunday’s victory. He was inactive for several minutes being worked on by the Nets medical team, but he played the second half and minimized the injury after the game.
“I was hit. This is part of basketball, ”Harden shrugged before the Nets’ 116-112 victory on Tuesday. “I was hit in the jaw. My neck tightened. I’ll be fine. Is nothing. Get a treatment, get some rest and be ready for the next game. “
It turns out that Harden was right.
Still, even before the neck problem, Nash acknowledged the concern about how many minutes the 31-year-old was accumulating. Harden took the championship lead on Tuesday with an average of 37.9 minutes played.
“I’m concerned about the minutes,” said Nash. “I’m not sure what the answer is, however. He controls the game. He hasn’t thrown the ball well since the [All-Star] break but he [makes 3s], he reaches the line. He assists, rebounds, steals. He’s great in the basket. … So it’s hard to get him off the ground because he makes his teammates better. “
Kevin Durant did not fly with the Nets on his trip and will not join them on Wednesday in Utah or Friday in Detroit. But Nash said the weakened star may be on the verge of returning if this is the postseason.
“He just has to close that last critical stage of his rehabilitation,” said Nash. “He’s training on the court almost every day, he’s doing great. I’m just trying to make sure that the functional strength is there and that we are confident that he can play safely again. That’s the thing, right? “Kevin is doing great. If it were the playoffs, there is a chance that he would come back, you know, very soon, but it doesn’t make sense to take a big risk with him when the most important thing is to get him back by the end of the season. “
After Blake Griffin was the best 12-game game in an abbreviated 15-minute debut on the Nets on Sunday, Nash said the striker would have his minute limit increased slowly and gradually.
Griffin played 19:24 against Portland.
“Very, very gradual. I definitely don’t want to get excited or overwhelm him as we try to increase him, ”said Nash, who did not want to compromise whether Griffin would play against Jazz. “Remember, he played a game basically in a month. He could play more minutes, but I definitely don’t want to risk his health in the long run. “
Landry Shamet (ankle) will miss Utah’s game, although there is a chance that he could join the team on Friday in Detroit. … Nash said he expects Alize Johnson to join the Nets in Utah.