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Kevin Durant # 7, James Harden # 13, Joe Harris # 12, and DeAndre Jordan # 6 of the Brooklyn Nets high-five during the first half against the Orlando Magic at Barclays Center on January 16, 2021 in the Brooklyn Borough of New York City. Sarah Stier / Getty Images / AFP
Kevin Durant scored 42 points, the season high, as the James Harden era for the Brooklyn Nets began with a triple-double and a 122-115 NBA victory over the Orlando Magic on Saturday.
The 31-year-old Harden finished with 32 points, 14 assists and 12 rebounds in his debut for the Nets, who will have to wait a little longer to show off their new Big Three of Harden, Durant and Kyrie Irving.
32 POINTS
14 HELP
12 TABLES📼 The Beard’s historic debut in Brooklyn 📼 pic.twitter.com/HXghV2h6je
– Brooklyn Nets (@BrooklynNets) January 17, 2021
Harden, who became the first player in history to record a 30-point triple-double in his debut with a new club, closed the door on leaving Houston after a four-team trade deal was completed.
But he was clearly pleased with his new club on Saturday, which sees him reunited with his former Oklahoma City Thunder teammate Durant.
Take a bow, James Harden.
32 pts | 14 ast | 12 reb | 4 stl#NETSonYES 🏀 #FearBeard pic.twitter.com/WqtgljhzyC
– YES Network (@YESNetwork) January 17, 2021
Despite winning the NBA scoring championship three times, Harden earned a reputation for being an underperforming player in the playoffs with the Rockets.
His tenure in Houston came to a head after a one-sided loss to the Los Angeles Lakers on Tuesday when Harden criticized the team’s level of talent. Even before that, Harden had demanded to leave Houston after failing to hand them a championship despite some impressive individual performances that included being named the 2018 NBA Most Valuable Player.
Two days later, after saying the Rockets “just weren’t good enough,” Harden was heading to Brooklyn after being acquired in a four-team trade in which Caris LeVert, Jarrett Allen and various draft picks went to. Houston.
Harden averaged 24.8 points, 10.4 assists and 5.1 rebounds in eight games with the Rockets this season.
On Saturday, Harden waited until the end of the first quarter to score his first Nets points.
The Nets will still have to wait to see their Big Three in full swing, as Irving, Harden’s backcourt partner, remains away from the team for personal reasons.
Irving missed his sixth straight game after being fined $ 50,000 by the NBA for violating health and safety protocols. He was seen on social media during his unmasked absence at a family party indoors.
He joined Harden as the second NBA player fined for violating the league’s Covid-19 rules.
Durant, a four-time scoring champion, fired 16 of 26 shots from the court against the Magic and was a perfect 5 of 5 from the free throw line.
Heading into Game 10 of his career with Brooklyn, Durant was averaging 29 points and seven rebounds per game. Joe Harris scored 17 points and Jeff Green scored 10 points in the victory.
Spurs rip Rockets
Nikola Vucevic finished with 34 points and 10 rebounds to lead Orlando, which has lost five in a row.
Terrence Ross scored 23 points off the bench and veteran Carmelo Anthony had 16 points as six Magic players reached double figures.
Evan Fournier missed his eighth straight game due to a back injury.
Additionally, DeMar DeRozan scored 24 points and the San Antonio Spurs edged the Rockets 103-91 in the second game between the teams in a span of three days.
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