When will James Harden return from his injury? We analyze the impact of the Brooklyn Nets star's absence on his team
Brooklyn Nets fans have waited all season to see their star attacking trio play together for a sustained spell. However, James Harden suffered an injury during game 1 of the NBA Eastern Conference semifinals. This means that the likes of Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant will now lead the team against the Milwaukee Bucks for the time-being. Harden played just 43 seconds of game 1, hurting his right hamstring on his very first drive of the first quarter.
The Brooklyn Nets went on to win the match 107-115, with Kevin Durant top-scoring with 29 points and 10 rebounds while Irving produced 25 points and Blake Griffin also finished with a double-double. Harden is being evaluated on a day-to-day basis, with head-coach Steve Nash claiming that he “doesn’t know if he will return for game 2.”
Will James Harden return for game 2 against the Milwaukee Bucks? Analyzing the impact of the Brooklyn Nets star’s absence
This is James Harden’s second right hamstring injury this season. He missed a total of 20 matches in the regular season when he first got injured. The Brooklyn Nets have been understandably tight-lipped about his status for game 2. Of course, the Nets still have one of the most potent attacks in the NBA, with Harden’s injury resulting in Mike James joining the rotation in game 1.
Kyrie Irving played 45 minutes as the likes of Tyler Johnson and Chris Chiozza came in late when the game was done and dusted. Mike James responded with 12 points and seven rebounds in 30 minutes and did a decent job of supporting Kyrie Irving at the shooting guard position. While Harden’s absence is certainly a huge blow, the Brooklyn Nets still have an offensive unit capable of outscoring the Milwaukee Bucks, as they showed in game 1.
The Nets were more efficient from the field and shot at 37.5% from the three-point zone, in comparison to the Bucks getting just 20% of their attempts on target. Regardless, barring Brook Lopez and Giannis Antetokounmpo, the rest of the Milwaukee Bucks were poor with their shooting and will be itching to hit back starting game 2.
In such a scenario, James Harden’s injury might as well return to bite the Brooklyn Nets in the coming matches, especially if he is not fit enough to play any part. The Milwaukee Bucks, on the other hand, will hope for better shooting from their two stars in Khris Middleton and Jrue Holiday.
Middleton shot at less than 30% and is coming off his best ever playoff series against the Miami Heat. Jrue Holiday has been sublime defensively and will also be expected to produce an improved performance in game 2. The Milwaukee Bucks do have the quality to hurt the Brooklyn Nets, especially in the absence of James Harden. The Bucks have a range of long-range offensive threats who simply did not come good in game 1, and James Harden’s injury might end up playing to their advantage.
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