Brooklyn Nets: Triumvirate Debut is a Mixed Bag of Goods

From the desk: THE HOOPS OF FLATBUSH

Team Says Need More Time In The Lab

WEDNESDAY

Nets  135

Cavs  147

Double-Overtime

(I STILL MISS JARRETT ALLEN . . . and Kyrie Irving is back)

Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving, and James Harden played together for the first time as members of the Brooklyn Nets.  However, during the second overtime of Wednesday night's game at Cleveland, Collin Sexton outplayed them all.

I'm not getting caught up in a double-overtime loss.  Once it gets there, stuff happens.  However, through the game's course, it became clear the Flatbush Three obviously need more practice time together.  The starting lineup as a whole displayed a measurable lack of cohesion.  But also give the Cavs their due.  They are among the top two stingiest teams in the league and recently added Jarrett Allen to their ranks.  

Regarding who gets the ball and when the Nets offered another small glimpse into the near future.  After a poor third quarter, the Nets recovered from a double-digit deficit.  The ball was put in Kyrie Irving's hands with the score tied 113-113 and time running out in regulation.  In the first overtime, Harden handled the ball somewhat more and facilitated a key slam by Jeff Green.  With the score tied and time expiring in the first overtime, the final shot was put into Kevin Durant's hands.

On this night Harden clearly deferred to Irving.  Look no further than the first half.  Harden scored no points from the field.  Meanwhile, Kyrie attempted a team-high 28 shots from the field, while Harden attempted only fourteen shots.  Otherwise, Kyrie scored 37 points with only three assists in 48 minutes.  Whereas Harden scored 21 points with a game-high twelve assists and ten rebounds during a game-high 51 minutes.  Kevin Durant finished with a team-high 38 points with a game-high twelve rebounds and eight assists in 50 minutes.

Getting the start, old man Jeff Green had an active night with sixteen points and seven boards in 44 minutes.  The Nets "center of attention" DeAndre Jordan is working well with Harden, who provides him an on-court reeducation in working pick and rolls.  Jordan scored (6/7) thirteen points with four boards in 24 minutes.

Landry Shamet was a curious DNP, and Bruce Brown only saw seven minutes.  Just wondering what Coach Nash is thinking.  Meanwhile, Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot was 0/6 including 0/3 from the arc in twelve minutes.  

Joe Harris picked a bad night for feeling numb to the touch.  He was just 2/7 from the arc and missed three other shots from mid-range in 42 minutes off the bench.

The loss puts the Nets one game under .500 on the road.  The play the Cavaliers once again this Friday at Cleveland.