[ad_1]
Kyrie Irving took a pass from James Harden and led for an undisputed left finger roll to give the Brooklyn Nets 18 points in under six minutes to start Game 1 of the last NBA Big Three – consisting of Irving, Harden and Kevin Durant. They made their first 10 shots, a categorical confirmation of our wildest expectations, putting the ball in the basket at will with three of the most prolific individual scorers in the world.
But rather than sit back and storm, accepting the tale about to unfold, the Cleveland Cavaliers shifted positions, throwing a series of zone defenses and pressure on the Nets to force the adjustments. . That, coupled with a virtuoso 42-point performance from Collin Sexton, ultimately led the Cavs to a 147-135 double-overtime victory, spoiling the debut of the Nets’ new triumvirate.
“We started out hot, 10 v 10 to start. We got what we wanted,” Durant said after the loss. “They threw the zone in there the rest of the game in the fourth, and once they cleared the zone we were able to get back into the game after losing 15 or 16 years. Against the young teams, you know they’re going to start throwing. press out there, areas, shuffling their defenses – playing more exotic defenses. You know, we just need to be prepared for that. “
Difficulty making adjustments was expected on Wednesday, with the Big Three playing together for the first time, but Durant’s comments express what will essentially be the biggest obstacle to the Nets’ attacking progress. When all is well, it will be nearly impossible to stop, relying solely on the individual talents of their top three players. But as the defenses make adjustments and Irving, Harden, and Durant come in and out of the crisis, how will Brooklyn change its approach?
We saw a bit of that dilemma in the first half of the loss to the Cavs. Harden clearly looked to get the others involved early on, as he had in his previous two games with the Nets, and on Wednesday he only scored two of two points – yes, of them – basket attempts in the first half. Last season, Harden averaged more than one basket attempt every two minutes.
Harden didn’t want to force the problem, and his facilitation allowed Irving to score 17 points in the first half while Durant scored 11. Harden finished with 21 points, but he never really picked up an attacking pace. as he tried to flip the switch. in the second half and overtime. Harden isn’t used to playing third wheel for part of the game, and you might see him struggling to decide when to take control and when to postpone. All three stars seemed reluctant to force the issue offensively and wanted to make sure the others were comfortable, which led to forced passes and bad turnovers, especially early on.
“I’m trying to get a feel for this whole situation. It will come to me,” Harden said after the game. “I’m not worried. I’m in no rush – very, very patient. Things will happen. That’s all it is – patience, communication and understanding things, which we’ll do.”
Just as we’ve seen the balance needed as three elite goal scorers attempt to engage each other, we’ve seen the luxury that the power of the stars offers at the end of games. As the Nets erased the Cavs’ 12-point lead in the fourth quarter to ultimately force overtime, Durant had 11 points, Irving had 10 and Harden had seven points and four assists in the frame – each capable of creating a shot for. himself or a teammate apparently at will.
Meanwhile, the Cavs needed Sexton to be practically perfect in overtime for the victory. It worked on Wednesday, but it often doesn’t. The Nets, on the other hand, have a choice of three All-NBA players to close out games – precisely why the front office traded.
So in their early days, we saw both the blessing and the curse of having Harden, Irving, and Durant together. It will take time for them to figure out how to play together and how to distribute the opportunities. Sometimes it’s going to be very ugly. Defensively, we can already see it’s going to be a struggle – they’ve allowed 117.4 points per 100 possessions in three games with Harden.
But by the end of the games, when most of the playoff fates are decided, they’ll have three players capable of winning the Nets, and they’re betting on the pros that ultimately outweigh the cons of three superstars sharing the pitch.
“We seemed a little lost at times, which is natural because we haven’t played together so there’s a bit of indecision,” Nets coach Steve Nash said after the game. “But I’m staying positive. These guys, this is their first night together, just to get a feel for it. It will be a process that will take all year. While we are all disappointed, we have a lot to do. build on, grow, many more opportunities. ”
[ad_2]
Source link