Nets star James Harden playing more aggressively and getting more calls

Over the first five games of the season, it was clear three-time NBA scoring champ James Harden was a pale imitation of himself after spending the summer rehabbing a severe hamstring injury that has affected his trademark ability to drive to the rim, draw contact and get to the foul line.

New officiating rules that prevent players from drawing fouls for what are regarded as "non-basketball moves" to create contact seemed designed with Harden in mind. In fact, after a game in which he got just one foul shot, Harden said he had a "stigma" surrounding him.

But that changed in the Nets’ 105-98 victory over the Pacers Friday night at Barclays Center to level their record at 3-3. Looking over a box score that showed him scoring 29 points, grabbing eight rebounds and passing out eight assists, Harden took satisfaction with a performance in which he was plus-17 in his 35 minutes.

"It wasn’t 30 obviously," said Harden, referring to a recent comment, saying he hoped to return to scoring in the 30s and 40s. "[But] I feel good, I feel better today, I continue to work on off days and non-game days and continue to get to the basket and shoot my shots. Nothing’s going to change. Eventually, things are going to happen where it’s consistent and I’m out there playing by myself."

Next up for Harden and the Nets are the Pistons (0-4) who will be on the second night of a back-to-back Sunday night at Barclays Center after hosting the Magic in Detroit Saturday night. The big question is whether Harden can repeat his effort against the Pacers and whether he will get to the foul line even close to the way he did Friday night.

His 29 points came on just 11 field-goal attempts but were supplemented by a 16-for-19 free-throw effort. To put that in context, Harden was 14 of 15 at the line combined through the first five games.

Explaining the sudden difference in officiating treatment, Harden said, "It was just me being aggressive. The first couple of games, I wasn’t aggressive. I was aggressive in spurts, but I was trying to be aggressive for four quarters. I had that burst, that speed of getting to my spots, whether I was getting to the basket or shooting my shots. I felt pretty good out there for the entire game."

No doubt Harden was more effective driving to the basket than in the first five games. Nets coach Steve Nash said it will take time for Harden to get his rehabbing hamstring up to game speed because he was unable to play all summer, and this was a positive sign.

But also, Nash might have played a role in triggering more favorable treatment from the officials. Before the game, he said referees are adjusting to the changes but also are missing calls when a player drives to the basket and gets legitimate contact.

There was an instance where Harden did that early in the second quarter and did not get the call. During the next stoppage, Nash approached an official and discussed the non-call in great detail. On the next possession, Harden got that call. After getting only two foul shots in the first quarter, he got nine in the second quarter alone and got to the line eight more times in the second half.

Asked about Nash’s talk with the officials and the impact it might have made, Harden appeared nonplussed. "I don’t know," Harden said. "I don’t know. I didn’t see Steve talking to the official."

When Nash was asked about the obvious difference in officiating compared to the Nets’ first five games, he said, "I think we still are trying to figure it out. I think the refs are, too. It is a big change for everyone and probably will take a lot of time to figure that out."

No doubt, more evenhanded enforcement of rules about drawing contact will help Harden regain a major component of his prolific scoring punch.

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.