The Nets won a key victory after the resumption of the game with a thrilling victory over the Lakers on the road, after they postponed 3 games because multiple people triggered health and safety agreements, and after welcoming back the return of Harden and others, the team showed good form, although the 23-point lead in the fourth quarter was almost reversed, but in the end they stubbornly held on and did not stage a tragedy. In this game, the Nets still have 2 joys and 1 worry to win, and the team not only sees hope, but also buries hidden dangers.
The first joy, Harden triggered the health and safety agreement after the blessing of misfortune, this game staged the return of the king, let us see the former MVP and scoring king who can do everything in Hugh City.
Harden played 39 minutes in this game, bombed 36 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists, if it is in the Rockets period, cutting such data is common for Harden, it will not be surprising at all, but this season Harden has struggled, and being able to cut 30+ is like eating dumplings in the New Year, which also reflects how bad his state is. After this ten-day rest adjustment, Harden showed a completely different mental outlook in this game than before, and the offensive desire on the court was very strong, especially the repeated impact on the Lakers basket, once again showing the true color of the efficient basket finisher in the past.
On the one hand, he can score and carry the whole team, and on the other hand, he can lead his teammates to participate in the attack through passing in the case of single-core team, which is what we are familiar with in the past, and obviously, triggering the health and safety agreement this time is unfortunate for Harden, but the suspension gives him enough time to rest and also allows him to find himself. And when Harden can get back to his peak form, the Nets will really have the strength to become a favorite for the championship.
The second joy, 6 million Mills, played a value of 40 million, this game can be called the Nets giant, so that Harden does not have to fight alone.
Harden's performance is excellent, but without Mills' coming forward, it will be difficult for the Nets to withdraw from the Lakers' home court in this game. Mills contributed 34 points, 2 rebounds and 7 assists, throwing 8 3-pointers to set a single-game 3-point record for the Christmas War, if you just look at the data and don't look at the game, you will definitely think that Irving is back. In the fourth quarter, Harden was limited, the Nets fell into an offensive drought and were chased by the Lakers continuously, and it was Mills who hit 2 key 3 points to help the Nets alleviate the scoring drought. It can be said that Today's Mills has become one of the most important core players in the Nets' lineup, and without his outstanding performance so far this season, it is difficult for the Nets to achieve the first record in the East. In this game, Mills once again showed his big heart, and it can even be said that he saved Nash from being criticized after the game.
The performances of Harden and Mills are the biggest surprises and gains for the Nets in this game, but nash's problems in coaching have once again laid hidden dangers for the Nets' road to the championship, and it is also the most worrying part of the Nets' attempt to impact the championship.
The Nets led by 23 points in the fourth quarter, but the Lakers blasted a 15-0 climax in 3 minutes, reborn the suspense of the game, and during this time, Nash was unmoved, waiting until the Lakers chased the score to single digits before remembering to call a timeout adjustment. And such a dull on-the-spot reaction also almost made the Nets finally swallow the tragedy, and the advantage of 23 points was fleeting, almost overturned. If the Nets can't improve their ability to read the game, by the playoffs, the Nets will obviously suffer because of this, unless the Big 3 are healthy and play super-giant, otherwise, the Nets want to rush the championship, Nash's coaching ability, will be their biggest obstacle.