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Although he wasn't back to full strength, the Brooklyn Nets were boosted by the return of James Harden on Tuesday night as they took a thrilling Game 5 win against the Milwaukee Bucks.
The shooting guard had been sidelined since the first minute of the series. With the injury to Kyrie Irving in Game 4, the Nets had been put into a compromised position, with proceedings tied at two wins each. Harden was upgraded from doubtful to questionable and then to a game-time decision within 48 hours of tip-off and he ended up playing 46 minutes with his leg heavily taped.
Amid discussions after the game, there was a suggestion that perhaps Steve Nash could rest James Harden for Game 6 with the series coming back to Brooklyn should they lose. However, having played almost the full game, it seems the 31-year-old is ready to play, which could make all the difference for the Nets as they hope to finish the Milwaukee Bucks off.
Can James Harden help the Brooklyn Nets to reach the Eastern Conference Finals on Thursday night?
Kevin Durant put on what was one of the most memorable NBA Playoffs performances in Game 5 of the Brooklyn Nets' semifinal series on Tuesday. The 32-year-old sniper poured in 49 points, grabbed 17 rebounds and dished out 10 assists.
This sort of performance was much needed by the Nets, who stood on the verge of elimination. Coach Nash's side were down by as many as 17 points and were potentially heading on the road down three games to two.
James Harden pushed himself to start on Tuesday and barely got a rest. Although he wasn't his usual self as he rarely drove in the lane nor did he offer much support on defense, his efforts were promising for somebody that had missed the last four matchups.
'The Beard' still managed to dish out eight assists and grab six rebounds and was a calming, experienced presence on the court. James Harden has competed in countless playoff series and knows what it takes to win in the clutch. Therefore, his mere presence on the court is vital to the Brooklyn Nets' championship hopes.
Nevertheless, the Brooklyn Nets facilitator will need to rekindle his shooting touch on the Bucks' home court. Harden shot just 1-10 from the field and was 0-8 from downtown in the contest. That could be put down to rustiness and the Milwaukee defense should be scared heading into Game 6 if Harden is firing on all cylinders or is even close enough to that.
