National Basketball Association

Even without James Harden, Brooklyn Nets make it look easy in Game 1

Published Jun. 5, 2021 11:07 p.m. ET

The Brooklyn Nets took it in stride and then some.

After James Harden went down less than a minute into Game 1 on Saturday, it wouldn't have shocked many to see the Milwaukee Bucks cruise to a victory.

Instead, it was the Nets who made it look easy, with a 115-107 win to take a 1-0 lead in this conference semifinal series.

They got it done as a collective, with five players scoring in double figures. Kevin Durant led the way with 29 points, and Kyrie Irving added 25. Starters Blake Griffin and Joe Harris put up 18 and 19 points, respectively, and Mike James contributed 12 off the bench.

The Nets were 19-17 without Harden heading into Saturday, but they didn't miss a beat this time, and there were more than enough highlights to go around at Barclays Center.

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Early on, it was Irving leading the charge. He had nine points in the first quarter and led his team with eight assists and 45 minutes played on the night.

Durant was quiet in the first half, by his standards, but he took over in the third, with 13 points to tighten the Nets' grip on the lead. He finished with 10 rebounds and was perfect (4-for-4) at the free-throw line.

Together, Harris and James, who played 30 minutes off the bench, contributed seven made 3s as part of an impressive showing from distance for Brooklyn.

Not to be forgotten, with 18 points and 14 rebounds, Griffin logged his first playoff double-double since 2016 and his most rebounds in a playoff game since 2015.

Granted, the Nets were helped by a less-than-stellar night from the opposing team. Despite Giannis Antetokounmpo's 34 points, the Bucks shot 44.6% on the night, including going 6-for-30 from 3.

The Bucks seemed to run out of steam in the third quarter as the Nets went on a run to put the game away.

The win was the Nets' seventh straight at home, dating to the regular season, and they're riding their first three-game postseason winning streak since the first round of the 2006 playoffs.

Also, Brooklyn remains undefeated this season (33-0) after leading by 14 points or more at any point in the fourth quarter or overtime, and Durant is now 13-0 in his past 13 Game 1s.

"It was great to see guys who haven't been in the rotation get an opportunity and step up," coach Steve Nash said postgame.

Even with the win, though, Nash's focus was on his injured superstar. He noted that the team did not yet know when Harden might be available to play again.

Harden's teammates — and the rest of the NBA world — will be rooting for him to get back out on the court as soon as possible.

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