The Brooklyn Nets faced a big challenge on Tuesday night, trying to beat the best team in the NBA right now. The Golden State Warriors landed in Brooklyn set to make a statement and left the Barclays Center with a 117-99 win.
Stephen Curry went off once again, scoring 37 points for the Dubs, grabbing 7 rebounds, and dishing 5 rebounds. The Nets couldn’t keep up with the Warriors, losing their first-quarter advantage in the second and worsening things in the third.
In the end, they had no response for Steve Kerr’s team, bringing their record to 10-5, still enough to keep them 3rd in the Eastern Conference standings. After the game was over, James Harden reflected on his team’s performance, admitting they’re still figuring things out while the Warriors have had their system for years now.
Asked if he would like to take anything away from last night’s loss, The Beard said:
“None, wipe it away. I mean, they’ve pretty much had their system for years. They just basically got some guys implemented into their system. They looked great tonight. They have been playing well.
“We’re still trying to figure things out, and then obviously, Joe hurt us a lot because we depend on him as far as spacing and having an extra body is concerned. It is what it is. We wipe it away and get ready for tomorrow.”
What things does James Harden want to take away from tonight's loss to the Warriors?
"None…we wipe it away, we get ready tomorrow" pic.twitter.com/GkEG7EUHRJ
— Nets Videos (@SNYNets) November 17, 2021
The Brooklyn Nets started this season struggling to find their touch. In the past couple of weeks, they improved their level, but the season is still young, and, as Harden admitted, Golden State knows what they’re doing. Even with new players, they keep the same identity.
That’s a big advantage for them, and Brooklyn hopes to emulate that in the future. Steve Nash worked with Steve Kerr a couple of years ago and he must have learned something from that experience.
This was a preview of a potential NBA Finals matchup, but the Nets must improve if they want to have a chance against Stephen Curry and co.