Lone star James Harden can't hold back Lakers as Nets fall
Nets guard James Harden looks to pass the ball defended by Lakers forward Anthony Davis in the first half of an NBA game at Barclays Center on Tuesday. Credit: Kathleen Malone-Van Dyke
The Nets faced a math problem on Tuesday night: Three is greater than one.
And so it was, as the Lakers secured a 106-96 win at Barclays Center upon the return of Anthony Davis after a 17-game absence because of a knee injury, reuniting their "Big 3" of LeBron James, Davis and Russell Westbrook.
The Nets, meanwhile, were without the injured Kevin Durant and the unvaccinated Kyrie Irving, leaving James Harden as their lone active superstar.
Harden finished with 33 points, 12 rebounds and 11 assists, but his triple double did little to ease his frustration, which boiled over in a brief, tense postgame interview session.
The Nets star was asked about a report earlier in the day from Bleacher Report that cited "several confidants" of Harden saying the guard plans to explore opportunities elsewhere after this season, when he can be a free agent.
It asserted Harden has been frustrated by Irving’s part-time status, that he does not like coach Steve Nash’s late-game personnel rotation and that he does not enjoy living in Brooklyn — or paying the taxes that come with that.
When asked about the story, Harden said, "Reports from who? I don’t know what you’re talking about . . . I don’t know about reports. Did you [reporters] hear it from me?"
Asked whether he is happy living in New York, Harden seemed incredulous before saying, "Yeah, yeah."
Then he was asked about Nash’s late-game rotations and sought to end the discussion.
"Listen, listen, I don’t know about any reports," Harden said. "Of course, I’m frustrated, because we’re not healthy. There’s a lot of inconsistency for whatever reason — injuries, COVID, whatever you want to call it.
"Yeah, it’s frustrating. I think everybody in this organization is frustrated because we are better than what our record is and we should be on the way up. So that’s all it is . . . If you don’t hear it from me, then it’s ‘reports.’ So I’m frustrated because I want to win and I’m a competitor. It’s pretty simple."
Being frustrated is understandable, but the core of the matter is whether that impacts Harden’s future with the Nets, and that will not be resolved anytime soon.
So for the moment, the Nets (29-18) were left to ponder a loss to a Lakers team that improved only to 24-24 but flashed its considerable powers at full strength.
James was a force, with 33 points, 7 rebounds and 6 assists, including back-to-back breakaways dunks off Nets turnovers that broke open the game at 100-85 and thrilled the sellout crowd.
Westbrook added 15 points while Davis scored six early points but looked rusty at times in finishing with eight points in 25 minutes. Malik Monk scored 22 points and Carmelo Anthony 13 off the bench.
Harden scored 16 of the Nets’ 25 points in a first quarter that ended with the Lakers leading 33-25.
The Lakers led by as many as 14 at 45-31 in the second quarter and 62-53 at halftime.
The Nets got within two at 71-69 in the third quarter, but that did not last long. Behind the scoring and passing of James, the Lakers soon were pulling away again. It was 92-78 after the third quarter.
Nash and Harden both cited the Nets’ transition defense as the No. 1 culprit in the loss.
There were many Lakers fans at Barclays, many no doubt there to see James in his only New York appearance this regular season. He sat out a one-game suspension when the Lakers visited the Knicks on Nov. 23.
Asked about the Bleacher Report story before the game, Nash said he was surprised and questioned its validity.
"I don’t see James saying a lot of this stuff," Nash said, "and I feel like our relationship’s been really good. We’ve worked through a lot of things together this year."
Harden will be without Durant and Irving again against Denver at home on Wednesday. After that, Irving should be back for a five-game road trip.
Not a moment too soon.
Neil Best first worked at Newsday in 1982, returned in 1985 after a detour to Alaska and has been here since, specializing in high schools, college basketball, the NFL and most recently sports media and business.
