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James Harden has an easy enough answer for teams that are looking to stop him and Brooklyn Nets teammate Kevin Durant. Harden offered his solution after he and Durant combined for 67 points as the Nets outlasted the New Orleans Pelicans 120-112 on Friday (November 12).
The win helped them improve to a 9-4 regular-season record.
James Harden was asked by a reporter after the game what a defense is supposed to do when he and Durant have it going at the same time as they did against the Pelicans. Harden paused and replied, “Pray.” He then went on to elaborate:
“It’s difficult man. We’re two unselfish basketball players… Kevin is known for his efficient scoring, but he is also a willing passer, especially when there’s a double-team and things like that. It’s difficult to guard him and it’s difficult to guard me, especially when we got it going. We’re just so unselfish. We want to get our teammates involved and obviously we can score with the ball, too. We just got to find ways to continue that ball movement and make sure that everybody’s involved.”
James Harden and Kevin Durant combine for 20 assists versus Pelicans
As Harden said, he and Kevin Durant made all the right plays versus the New Orleans Pelicans. The duo combined for 20 assists in a game in which the Brooklyn Nets had 27 assists overall.
Durant had 28 points on a very efficient 11-of-17 (64.7%) shooting from the floor. Meanwhile, James Harden also had a strong shooting game, going 11-of-18 (61.1%) from the field. Harden tallied a double-double with 12 assists.
This was a season-high scoring effort for James Harden. Prior to the game against the Pels, Harden was yet to go past the 30-point mark for the Nets in their 2021-22 campaign. Speaking about his recently improved play and form, he said:
“I’m getting there. It wasn’t going to take long. This is the highest sport in basketball, it’s the NBA… It's not going to be easy for me to come out there and just do what I do. It takes a lot of hard work to get to that point which you guys have seen me play at.”
James Harden and Kevin Durant will conclude the Nets’ six-game road trip with a visit to the Oklahoma City Thunder on Sunday (November 14). The Brooklyn Nets have posted a 4-1 record in their five games away from home during this stretch.
Also Read: What is Kevin Durant’s Current Contract?
Guess the Lakers players!
