After Harden left the team and suffered another 10 consecutive losses, the Nets came to Miami today to challenge the Heat, and although Irving could play today and scored 20 points in the final quarter, the Nets still lost to the Heat 111-115, suffering 11 consecutive losses.
After losing 11 straight, the Nets' record went from 29-16 to 29-27, falling to eighth in the East, and the winning percentage is about to fall below 50%. If they lose again, the Nets may fall out of the top eight like the Lakers.
In today's game, Irving performed well, playing 41 minutes, shooting 10 of 22, including 3 of 8 three-pointers, 6 of 6 free throws, 29 points, 5 rebounds and 5 assists, and scored 20 points in the final quarter, but it was still difficult to support alone, and failed to lead the Nets to end the losing streak.
For the Nets, it is indeed very difficult to suffer an 11-game losing streak, and they have also lost Harden, but this does not mean that they have lost hope and competitiveness this season. The reason why the Nets suffered 11 consecutive losses was mainly because of the uneven lineup, Durant suffered injuries, Irving could only play in away games, and Harden also missed several games.
Now that Harden has left and new additions Simmons, Curry Jr. and Drummond are not available for the time being, it is difficult for the Nets to win and end the losing streak.
With the Nets remaining in 26 regular season games this season, 17 of them home, meaning Irving will only play in up to nine games ahead, which is certainly not good news for the Nets.
In the case that Irving can only play in away games and Durant does not return, even with Simmons and Curry Jr., the Nets' record in the future period may not be ideal, and the final record ranking may not be too high.
However, as long as Durant can return in time, the lineup remains relatively intact, even if the Nets are not high in the regular season rankings, they are still very competitive. And it is worth mentioning that the Nets are not ranked high, there is no home advantage in the playoffs, and because Irving can only play on the road, the Nets will have a certain degree of away advantage.