Afterward, Harden did his finest to spin his evening ahead. Possibly, he mentioned, the 76ers wanted to get their butts kicked.
“Since I’ve been right here, every little thing has been candy,” he mentioned. “We’ve been profitable video games. So tonight was good for us, and we get a possibility to return all the way down to actuality, watch movie and proceed to get higher.”
It ought to be famous that not every little thing is rainbows and pet canines for the Nets, who’ve misplaced 17 of their final 22 video games. Simmons, who has not performed since final season, remains to be working his means again into taking part in form, and who is aware of how he’ll jell with the Nets as soon as he returns. And Irving, who’s unvaccinated, nonetheless can not play in house video games. Barring a change in public coverage, that may stay the case within the postseason. However when Irving is out there to play, look out. He scored 50 factors in opposition to the Charlotte Hornets on Tuesday, and he and Durant mixed for 47 on Thursday.
“Coming into the sport,” Irving mentioned, “I simply instructed the fellows: ‘Simplify it. Two baskets and a basketball. Don’t take note of what’s occurring. No distractions. No worry. And let’s simply dwell with the outcomes.’ ”
Earlier than the sport, Rivers was requested if he thought the 76ers and the Nets constituted a rivalry. Not but, he mentioned. The Yankees and the Pink Sox have a rivalry. Duke and North Carolina have a rivalry. Rivers even cited the rivalry between the 76ers and the Boston Celtics, one which dates again many years. Rivers recalled that when he was teaching the Celtics and misplaced an essential recreation to the 76ers, Tommy Heinsohn, the previous Celtics nice who was working as one of many group’s tv broadcasters on the time, “virtually killed me.”
Nonetheless, the 76ers and the Nets are actually related in an odd means, having swapped disgruntled stars. They’re additionally rising accustomed to one different as title hopefuls in the identical division. As for his or her turning into rivals?
“Let’s make it one,” Rivers mentioned. “Each of us need the identical factor, proper? We’ve got the very same purpose.”
For one evening, no less than, one group appeared nearer to reaching that purpose than the opposite.
