James Harden in attack mode a great sign for Nets

CHICAGO — The Nets carried the momentum from a five-game winning streak into their meeting with a tough Bulls team Monday night at United Center. They were playing the second game of a back-to-back after a win over the Raptors Sunday in Toronto that was perhaps their most impressive of the season in large part because of a breakout performance by James Harden.

Coming off a summer spent rehabbing a severe hamstring strain suffered at the end of last season, Harden lacked his usual explosiveness in getting to the rim early this season. But he looked like his old self when he took over down the stretch of the fourth quarter in Toronto to secure a 116-103 win over the Raptors. Harden had 16 of his 28 points in the fourth quarter and scored 15 of the Nets' final 17 points.

Kevin Durant, who had 31 points, loved what he saw from Harden, who did not speak during the postgame interview session. "He was getting to the rim and driving by guys, making plays for others, getting offensive rebounds and knocking down threes," Durant said. "I mean, he just played an overall game. He always had confidence, but it felt like he was in the zone tonight and it was good to see that.

"He had only two turnovers, 10 rebounds, eight assists. That’s a full game. We’re going to need that from him [against the Bulls] and going forward if we’re going to be a successful team."

Nets coach Steve Nash agreed that it was Harden’s best game this season in terms of attacking the basket, but he said it took some coaxing at halftime.

"I thought in the first half, he didn’t give himself enough credit," Nash said of Harden’s hesitancy to drive. "I thought he had opportunities to attack more, and I implored him to go and be aggressive. In the second half, he was excellent. This game, the Atlanta game [last Wednesday], games where he gets into the paint, he can really cause a lot of problems for the defense."

For the season, Harden is averaging 18.7 points and shooting 40.1%, but over the course of the five-game winning streak, he is averaging 20.8 points and shooting 45.3% and has recorded two triple-doubles in addition to games of 29 and 28 points. Equally impressive, Harden has ben plus-53 in his time on the court during the winning streak.

With Kyrie Irving still in limbo because he is not in compliance with the New York City COVID-19 vaccine mandate and has been told by the Nets he can’t play until he is eligible for all games, there has been more pressure on Harden to regain his form as a prolific scorer. So his recent play has provided a shot in the arm for his teammates even though he hasn’t yet had a 30-point game and has a ways to go to match last season’s 24.6 scoring average with 8.5 rebounds and 10.9 assists.

Blake Griffin said he and Durant also talked to Harden at halftime in Toronto and told him to be himself and let his aggressiveness going to the basket lead to his playmaking. "When he is aggressive, the defensive focus has to shift," Griffin said. "I think he’s finding a great balance lately.

"He has been working really hard, really getting himself into shape. When he is at that level, he makes us go. As a team, we can go to a different level. Especially down the stretch when the game is tight, he’s got the ball in his hands, he’s making the right decisions, it’s a game-changer for us."

By Greg Logan

Gregory.Logan@newsday.comGregLogan1

Greg Logan has worked for Newsday since 1982 covering a wide array of sports and events, currently including the Brooklyn Nets beat.