“If you don’t feel confidence and your shot isn’t there, you might as well don’t be on the floor” – James Harden tells Brooklyn Nets teammates to keep shooting confidently

James Harden was the talisman for the Brooklyn Nets on Friday night. With Kevin Durant sitting out for the Nets due to a shoulder injury, Harden went to work against the Orlando Magic.

The 32-year-old recorded 36 points, 10 rebounds and eight assists for the home team. He also had three steals and two blocks in the game, which the Brooklyn Nets won 115-113.

However, it wasn’t the best shooting night for James Harden or the Brooklyn Nets. Harden shot just 28.0% from the field for his 36 points. He was 3-of-13 from downtown but managed to make a season-high 19 out of 20 (also season-high) free-throw attempts. A lot of the other Brooklyn players also struggled with their field-goal shooting, but Harden insisted they kept shooting right through the game.

Speaking during a media interaction following the close win against the Magic, James Harden said:

“Have to keep shooting. If you don’t feel confidence and your shot isn’t there, you might as well don’t be on the floor.”

Harden described in detail the guidance he gave Jevon Carter, who missed his initial few shots in the game:

“This morning I talked to Jevon. He works his butt off every single day. Yesterday, he put up five hundred shots. Today, five hundred shots. He just wants to keep shooting. It might carry over to the game. So, I’m like, if you miss one shot, don’t put your head down and he missed his first three when they went into a zone. I think there was a time out after that. I said keep shooting… and the next one he made. And just that confidence right there that we need from each individual guy, that’s going to take us a long way.”

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James Harden upset that Brooklyn Nets gave up 41 points in the first quarter to Orlando

Friday’s win against the Orlando Magic was a difficult one for the Brooklyn Nets. They conceded a huge deficit to their opponents in the very first quarter. They let the Magic score 41 points in the first 12 minutes while only scoring 25 themselves.

However, the Nets picked up their effort in the second and third quarters of the contest. They outscored the visitors 65-42 in the two quarters on either side of half-time.

James Harden opined that the Brooklyn Nets’ defense in that period was what won the home team the game. He also said giving up 41 points was simply “unacceptable.”

Harden explained the reason for Brooklyn’s comeback victory, saying:

“Our spirit, our energy. We got after it defensively. I think the first quarter they had 41 points, we had 25. Like 25, that’s 100 points a game. That’s more than good enough to win. 41 points, that’s unacceptable. So, we wanted to tighten up. In the second and third [quarters] we only [conceded] 42 in both of those quarters. Our defensive communication picked up. Our intensity, our spirit, all that together picked up and guys just gained in confidence.