'We gotta get out of our comfort zone' James Harden on Brooklyn Nets' defensive struggles in 104-94 win against Indiana Pacers

Brooklyn Nets stars James Harden and Kyrie Irving led their team to a 104-94 win over the Indiana Pacers on Wednesday night at the Barclays Center. Irving had his way against the Pacers all night long, as he danced around defenders with his slick handles and even dished out alley-oops to teammate DeAndre Jordan.

James Harden was more of a complementary piece to Irving but both players contributed greatly to Brooklyn Nets' win. Harden and Irving combined to make an astounding 27-of-27 from the free-throw line.

Kyrie Irving (17-of-17) and James Harden (10-of-10) combined to shoot 27-of-27 from the free throw line tonight.

Harden (24-of-24) and Russell Westbrook (4-of-4) are the only other starting guard duo to shoot 27-of-27 or better from the FT line since 1970-71 (via Elias).
— Travonne Edwards (Blk Tray) (@Travonne) February 11, 2021

The game was turning into a rout from the second to the third quarter when the Nets led by as much as 36 points. The Pacers rallied but the Nets hung on for their 13th win of the season. Kyrie Irving led the Brooklyn Nets with 35 points with eight assists while James Harden added 19 points and 11 rebounds.

James Harden on the Brooklyn Nets’ inconsistent defense

James Harden talked to reporters about the team’s defense that allowed the Indiana Pacers to make the game close. He spoke candidly about his teammates being shy when it came to communicating on the defensive end of the court.

"If we don't have that (energy, effort, intensity), we don't have a chance of winning," Harden said. "More often than not, when we can bring that, possession-by-possession, quarter-by-quarter, game-by-game... You know I really don't like talking about offense because we can score with the best of them, but defensively we have to have some kind of consistency and some kind of togetherness. Like I said, we've shown great signs of it and then we just show signs where we're not on the same page like we're individuals out there.

James Harden: “We shown signs of pretty good defense, we just have to be consistent.”
— Travonne Edwards (Blk Tray) (@Travonne) February 11, 2021

James Harden explained that the team needs to stop being shy:

"We got a lot of shy guys on this team...we gotta get out of our comfort zone."

James Harden also complimented DeAndre Jordan (12 points, 13 rebounds) with whom he had a heated conversation in the loss to the Detroit Pistons the other night.

James Harden on Deandre Jordan: “His energy...I think for DJ our team is great when he’s talking and communicating with us.”
— Travonne Edwards (Blk Tray) (@Travonne) February 11, 2021

DeAndre Jordan spoke about being shy in response to James Harden's comments. Jordan also talked about not taking the conversation with coach Steve Nash too seriously.

Deandre Jordan: “I know that I’m very shy but on the floor I talk a lot and I think that we feed off each other’s energy.”
— Travonne Edwards (Blk Tray) (@Travonne) February 11, 2021

Deandre Jordan on exchange with Steve Nash last night: “A lot of things get blown out of proportion...it’s you guys fault, trying to get clicks.”
— Travonne Edwards (Blk Tray) (@Travonne) February 11, 2021

Steve Nash opens up about DeAndre Jordan and Jeff Green

The altercation between Steve Nash and DeAndre Jordan in the Detroit Pistons game was a delicate matter. Nash told reporters about how good Jordan was in this game against the Indiana Pacers.

“I’m proud of him (DeAndre), he bounced back with an incredible effort,” said Nash.

Steve Nash praises DeAndre Jordan's bounce-back effort after the two got into an "emotional" exchange following Tuesday's game vs. Detroit. pic.twitter.com/ARnh8ZJUym
— YES Network (@YESNetwork) February 11, 2021

The Brooklyn Nets coach also complimented veteran forward Jeff Green for his leadership during the game as the Pacers made a run during the third and fourth quarters.

Steve Nash said Jeff Green has been "the voice of reason for us this year." Spoke up in the locker room and in the huddle during the second half when Indiana was chipping away at the Nets' lead.
— Alex Schiffer (@Alex__Schiffer) February 11, 2021

After three straight losses, the Brooklyn Nets are finally back to their winning ways. Without Kevin Durant because of the league's COVID-19 protocols, the Nets are losing more than just a scorer. If Kyrie Irving and James Harden continue to lead this team like this and DeAndre Jordan plays defense this actively, the Brooklyn Nets are going to be tough to beat.

Also read: Indiana Pacers 94-104 Brooklyn Nets: Twitter explodes as Kyrie Irving dominates Domantas Sabonis and company