A Brewing Rivalry Goes the Nets’ Way, for One Night

Afterward, Harden did his finest to spin his evening ahead. Possibly, he mentioned, the 76ers wanted to get their butts kicked.

“Since I’ve been right here, every thing has been candy,” he mentioned. “We’ve been profitable video games. So tonight was good for us, and we get a chance to come back all the way down to actuality, watch movie and proceed to get higher.”

It needs to be famous that not every thing is rainbows and pet canine for the Nets, who’ve misplaced 17 of their final 22 video games. Simmons, who has not performed since final season, continues to be working his means again into enjoying form, and who is aware of how he’ll jell with the Nets as soon as he returns. And Irving, who’s unvaccinated, nonetheless can not play in residence video games. Barring a change in public coverage, that can stay the case within the postseason. However when Irving is on the market to play, look out. He scored 50 factors towards the Charlotte Hornets on Tuesday, and he and Durant mixed for 47 on Thursday.

“Coming into the sport,” Irving mentioned, “I simply advised the blokes: ‘Simplify it. Two baskets and a basketball. Don’t take note of what’s happening. No distractions. No worry. And let’s simply reside with the outcomes.’ ”

Earlier than the sport, Rivers was requested if he thought the 76ers and the Nets constituted a rivalry. Not but, he mentioned. The Yankees and the Crimson Sox have a rivalry. Duke and North Carolina have a rivalry. Rivers even cited the rivalry between the 76ers and the Boston Celtics, one which dates again a long time. Rivers recalled that when he was teaching the Celtics and misplaced an vital recreation to the 76ers, Tommy Heinsohn, the previous Celtics nice who was working as one of many workforce’s tv broadcasters on the time, “virtually killed me.”

Nonetheless, the 76ers and the Nets at the moment are related in an odd means, having swapped disgruntled stars. They’re additionally rising aware of one different as title hopefuls in the identical division. As for his or her changing into rivals?

“Let’s make it one,” Rivers mentioned. “Each of us need the identical factor, proper? Now we have the very same aim.”

For one evening, at the very least, one workforce appeared nearer to reaching that aim than the opposite.