The Nets capped their six-game road trip with their fifth win in a 120-96 victory over the Thunder in Oklahoma City on Sunday. It is just the third time in franchise history the Nets have won five games on a road trip, and the Nets are now tied with the Washington Wizards for the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference.
The Nets separated themselves from the pack by handling their business against non-playoff and non-championship-contending competition: Brooklyn’s road-trip resume features wins against the Pistons, Raptors, Magic, Pelicans and concluded with Sunday’s win in O.K.C. The Nets’ lone loss came in the second game of a back-to-back, against a sleeper Eastern Conference contender in the Chicago Bulls.
But the Nets paid the price. What they’ve gained in the win column, they have lost in team health.
Joe Harris landed on a Thunder player’s foot while chasing a rebound and twisted his ankle upon contact. The Nets ruled him out with a sprained left ankle. He labored up and down the floor for two possessions before Steve Nash called a timeout and pulled the plug.
Kevin Durant also appears to be dealing with a right shoulder injury. He attempted a dunk in the second quarter that missed off the side of the rim. Durant then grimaced and shook his shoulder. It was an apparent aggravation of an injury he sustained in Chicago.
Blake Griffin also took a shot to the face while attempting to take a charge. Griffin rose to his feet less like a basketball player and more like a boxer who didn’t know he was on the floor in the first place. Durant also hit the ground hard when Oklahoma City’s Kenrich Williams landed under his feet while both chased a rebound.
Call them casualties of war, or perhaps just casualties of a change in identity for a Nets team now committed to winning games by doing the little things on the floor. Harris could be out some time depending on the severity of the sharpshooter’s injury.
The Nets are tied for No. 1, however, because they got the job done. Because they handled business regardless of the circumstances. They have had no choice but to continue taking their punches in stride since losing Kyrie Irving to New York State vaccine mandates.
Durant scored 33 points on 9-of-17 shooting from the field and 13-of-14 shooting from the foul line. He was met with boos, as expected after he left the Thunder to win championships with the Golden State Warriors, but Durant reminded Oklahoma City just what kind of star they used to have on the roster.
Harden finished with 16 points, 13 assists, six rebounds and three steals, and Patty Mills erupted for 29 points off the bench. He shot 9-of-12 from downtown after going cold from downtown in his past five games.
The Nets now return to Brooklyn for a well-earned rest. They can only rest for one night: They are tied for first, after all, not first outright.
Their best chance at leapfrogging the Wizards starts with protecting home court after the successful road trip. Their next game is against a league-best Golden State Warriors team, led by a red-hot Stephen Curry.
