Nets 111-115 Heat Irving 29+5+5 Nets 11 consecutive losses
In the first game since the big three disintegrated, the Nets have unsurprisingly lost again, and their losing streak has extended to 11 games after today's 111-115 away loss to the Heat.
However, Durant was injured, Harden left the team, new signings have not yet played, the Nets actually fought hard in the first half and the heat of the lineup, and in the second half, they fell behind by 21 points at one point, and almost completed a big reversal.
The Nets, which have experienced a big deal by the deadline, although it will take time to get out of the low tide, but the spirit has been renewed. They don't break, which is a key reason why the outside world still sees them as a championship favorite.
Before today's game with the Heat, Durant gave his first public interview since suffering a knee injury, and naturally also talked about the deal before the deadline.
KD began by acknowledging, "I'm proud of the basketball we [the Big Three] play. But at the same time, he also said, "When I found harden unhappy, everything was irretrievable" and "after all the dust settled, the whole team had more certainty in its mentality." ”
At the same time, Marc Stein also reported that before Durant was injured, communication between him and Harden had become difficult, and after Durant's injury, Harden stopped contacting everyone and expressed in this negative way that he did not want to stay with the Nets.
Combined with previous rumors and the fact that Durant refused to ask Harden for the All-Star selection round until the end, all the signs confirm that Harden "forced" the Nets to trade himself, as he did when he left the Rockets a year ago, and that he scored only 4 points in the Nets farewell game, and it was obviously not just because of fatigue or health problems.
Simply put, the Nets agreed to trade with the 76ers before the deadline because "the twisted melon is not sweet", rather than holding on to the shortcomings, it is better to break the big stand.
Today's game, although Irving can play because of the road, but the Nets are facing the Heat, who have just won four consecutive games and are currently ranked first in the East. This season, the Heat have also experienced many injuries, the core players have been absent in turn, but still played an excellent record, and after the recent return of Lowry, the lineup is in good shape. No one before the game would think it was a tie-break.
But the Nets showed a moving fighting spirit, especially the aggressiveness of the defensive end, and the tenacity when falling behind by a large score, which dragged the suspense to the last moment.
In fact, today the Nets not only lack Durant, but the two interior players Aldridge and Clarkston are also unable to play due to injury, and can only be paired with Griffin, Mills, Brown and rookie Edwards as a starting point. On the bench, their main rotation is only three rookies Thomas, Sharp, Duke, and Johnson and Carter, who may not be able to play elsewhere.
However, such a lineup almost beat the Eastern Conference leader. Throughout the game, the Nets completed 12 steals, forcing the Heat to make as many as 15 turnovers, and in the case of serious losses in height and size, they fought 11 more shots than their opponents (93-82). So despite his lack of talent, he still narrowly won the game.
What is particularly commendable is that when the Heat suddenly started in the third quarter, quickly pulled the score away with a wave of 16-3, and looked like they were going to play the game into garbage time, the Nets did not give up. They maintain consistent intensity and focus in defense, and on the offensive end, they rely on the excellent performance of Irving and Thomas to launch wave after wave of tidal shocks to opponents.
In the first 37.7 seconds of the final game, when Thomas stopped in the transition and hit a three-point shot, the score had been chased to 109-110. Next, Butler's two free throws and one shot made the Nets see the opportunity to kill.
Unfortunately, Thomas's last offense made a pass error while trying to find Irving, and the Nets failed. But such results are still satisfactory. Today's Nets can be said to be defeated. They lost the game but earned respect.
Attitude allowed the Nets to fight the last bullet with a set of opponents like the Remnant and the Heat, but it wasn't enough to win the game. But the Nets, which are moving through the darkness, can already see the light at the end of the darkness.
Durant, while not yet on a clear return timeline, has begun to resume personal training in the last week, and he also did some shooting training separately after the end of the team's training today. In addition, according to head coach Nash, Aldridge is only "today" away from returning, not "a few weeks".
More importantly, the Nets sent away a player who didn't want to play for them anymore through a trade before the deadline, in exchange for a player who was eager to play and prove himself.
Nets guard Mills, who is also Simmons' Australian national team mate, said in a pre-game interview today about the Nets and the 76ers trade, saying: "You get someone who is desperate to get back on the field, especially with our team. ”
Simmons and Harden are not fundamentally different in terms of professional attitudes, the difference is that with this deal, they both leave what makes them unhappy, at least for some time to come, and there will be no reason not to play actively. Harden made his appearance in Philadelphia today with a smile on his face, and Simmons was also overjoyed by his new opportunity in Brooklyn.
Simmons is a player with obvious technical shortcomings, but his characteristics are equally distinct. He may be better suited to playing around Durant and Irving than Harden.
Simmons' rift with the 76ers began with his disappointing offensive performance during last year's playoffs, especially in the fourth quarter of the second round with the Hawks, who chose to pass the ball when he had the opportunity to tackle the basket and became the "scapegoat" for the 76ers' eventual defeat.
Simmons's cowardice has its specific reasons, in addition to the lack of outside projection ability, he threw 34.2% of the poor performance at the free throw line in the playoffs last year, becoming the target of the opponent's "shark cutting" tactic, so he will be loud and subconsciously choose to pass.
But at the Nets, Simmons doesn't have to worry about taking on too many scoring tasks, with Durant and Irving, two historic singles, he only needs to play his role as a quick attack and a pivot in the position wartime. Of course, when the opportunity arises, his impact can also cause damage.
On the contrary, Harden, from the time he was traded to the Nets at that time, how he and Durant and Irving "co-prospered" on the offensive end is a big question. Last season, although the Nets played the league's first offensive efficiency, the big three's simultaneous appearances were actually very limited, and Harden also made a huge sacrifice in the number of individual shots. Later, this became one of the reasons for his unhappiness.
Simply put, the combination of Harden, Irving and Durant's big three, offensive talent is overflowing and wasteful. So replacing Harden with Simmons, the weakening of the offense is something the Nets can afford. What's more, they will also use this deal to significantly upgrade the defense.
Last season's Nets took the route of attacking instead of defending, their defensive efficiency only ranked 22nd in the league, but by relying on the league's first offensive efficiency, they still hit the second place in the East.
And this season, with D'Antoni leaving the coaching staff, Nash's transformation of the Nets has clearly tilted towards the defensive end. Before entering 2022, the Nets only conceded 106.7 points per 100 possessions, the fifth in the league in defensive efficiency, and although the statistics declined due to injuries, their defense remained at the midstream of the league until Durant was injured (108.8 points per 100 possessions and the league's 14th).
Simmons ranked second in the selection of the best defensive player last season, and can really do it from the first position to the fifth position, upgrading hardened with a well-criticized defensive reputation to such an all-round defender, Nash can better implement his tactical philosophy and make the whole team's attack and defense more balanced.
Don't forget, in the Harden trade, the Nets also got Seth Curry and Drummond. The former has averaged 15 points, 3.4 rebounds and 4 assists per game this season, shooting 40% from three-point range and 44.1% from three-point range, and is a huge addition to the Nets' outside firepower in the case of Joe Harris' repeated ankle injuries that may be reimbursed for the season.
And Drummond, who has averaged 6.1 points, 8.8 rebounds, 1.1 steals and 0.9 blocks in 18.4 minutes this season as Embiid's bench, may not have been as positive as the stats suggest, but it's also not as bad as many people think.
The Nets traded Harden, it is indeed a last resort, but in the face of a doomed unhappy marriage, decisively breaking up and starting a new life is the wisest choice they can make at the moment.
It's too early to draw conclusions about whether the Nets can win the championship, especially in Irving's case. But there's no doubt that the deal will bring them closer, not away from their targets.