Even with all the hype surrounding the Nets’ big three of Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving, and James Harden, the Orlando Magic still had a chance to play the role of spoilers in Harden’s debut. The Magic wouldn’t be able to complete the upset, however, as the Nets would prevail 122-115. For the Nets, Durant extends his streak of 25+ point games to nine with a 42-point outburst on Saturday. Durant also had four rebounds, five assists, and two blocks. After this game, Durant set a Nets’ franchise record for the most points scored in a player’s first ten games with 304 points. As for Harden, he certainly didn’t disappoint in his first game with the Nets. Harden notched his first triple-double of the season with 32 points, 12 rebounds, and 14 assists. The Nets’ offense did seem pretty unstoppable, even without Irving.
Key takeaways for the Magic
Even though the Magic dropped to 6-7 after this game, they still got good play out of their young guys. No performance topped Nikola Vucevic’s, however. The former All-Star may have had his best performance of the season yet, dropping 34 points, ten rebounds, and seven assists. Vucevic also went 14-22 (63%) from the field and 6-12 (50%) from the three-point line. Vucevic keeps on getting better and better as the season rolls along. As for the rest of the team, both Cole Anthony and Terrence Ross stood out on Saturday. Anthony got the starting nod with Evan Fournier sitting out with back spasms. Anthony played well, too, notching 16 points and eight assists. It was a rough start for Anthony at the beginning of the season, but Anthony’s development has been great to watch. Ross continued his great play off the bench and had 23 points in 32 minutes.
Key takeaways for the Nets
Led by big performances from Durant and Harden, the Nets extend their current winning streak to three games. It didn’t seem like the chemistry was a big issue for the two superstars, either. Durant and Harden shot a combined 24-44 (54%) from the field. Outside of Durant and Harden, the offense did sputter, especially with the bench. Joe Harris finished third on the team in scoring with 17 points, shooting 6-11 (54%) from the field. As for the bench, the offensive showing was much worse. The Nets’ bench scored a total of 17 points, with Bruce Brown leading the way with seven points. The Magic outscored the Nets’ bench 42-17. Trading for Harden has proven to be costly, as no Caris Levert or Jarrett Allen has really hurt the team’s depth. Brooklyn seems fine with the sacrifice, especially when you can pair the former 2018 MVP with the former 2014 MVP.
Moving forward
After Saturday’s win, the Nets have now leapfrogged the Magic in the Eastern Conference standings, with the Nets holding the fifth seed and the Magic holding the sixth seed. The Magic will have a chance to rebound after this loss when they visit the 5-8 Knicks on January 18th. The Magic will get a shot at revenge, too, when they visit the Nets again on February 25th. As for the Nets, they’ll look to expand their winning streak to four games when they take on the 9-4 Bucks on January 18th.