National Basketball Association

Reactions To Harden's Impressive Debut

Updated Jan. 16, 2021 9:42 p.m. ET

James Harden made quite the impression in his debut with the Brooklyn Nets on Saturday, becoming the first player in NBA history to record a 30-point triple-double in his first game with a team.

Harden finished with 32 points, 12 rebounds and 14 assists, and his old friend Kevin Durant poured in 42 points of his own.

The Beard started slowly, not scoring his first points until a pair of free throws in the closing seconds of the first quarter.

Once he got going, however, Harden was in classic form, showing off his handles and agility on his first bucket in a Nets uniform ...

... flashing his typical playmaking ...

... and finding himself right back at home alongside KD as the Nets beat the Orlando Magic 122-115 for their eighth win of the season.

Even amid all the action of the NFL's divisional round, Harden's Nets debut drew quite a reaction from pundits, players and fans alike.

His trimmed-down appearance, particularly compared to that of his last game with the Rockets, was a topic of discussion pregame.

As The Beard and Brooklyn took control, though, all anyone was talking about was how good the Nets looked on the court.

Now, if you were impressed by Harden's first outing with Brooklyn, you might be considering a wager on the Nets – say, for example, to win the whole thing. Brooklyn is currently +333 to win the NBA Finals, according to FOX Bet.

If so, you might want to hear from FOX Sports gambling expert Sammy P first, as he recently spoke to oddsmakers about how they're evaluating Brooklyn.