For example, there's a catfish that scientists say can regularly swim thousands of miles a year.

But you take it out of the water can't flop for more than even a few feet.

The conditions radically change what the fish is capable of.

The same is true in the MBA, especially this year, where we have seen a huge change in conditions due to Cove.

It practice time severely limited players constantly rotating in and out of the lineup.

Teams often can't even meet all in the same room, which means hardly anyone's been able to hone the kind of schemes and communication that make for good defense on the results have led to a staggering change in what's normal.

Teams are averaging 112 points a game this season.

That is the highest mark in the past 50 years.

Meanwhile, what used to be a terrible defensive rating is now merely average.

Five years ago, the Lakers had the worst defense in the n B A.

If they were defending at that exact same rate.

Today they rank in the top half of the league.

So what happens when conditions shift this drastically?

Well, enter the Nets a team with almost limitless offensive potential but plenty of weaknesses defensively.

And in a normal year, that might mean Brooklyn could only climb so far in the standings in a normal year.

Chemistry problems might arise from the fact that K.

D.

Kyrie James Harden have only been able to play seven games together so far.

But in this year, in these conditions, the Nets are thriving.

Take last night's game against the sons, who have been thriving themselves in this over caffeinated season.

Both the Rant and Kyrie were sitting with injuries, and Phoenix took advantage early with Yep, an explosion of offense.

Devin Booker was cooking.

The Sun scored 42 points in the second quarter alone.

Phoenix led 75 to 54 at halftime, 75 at halftime, which would have been notable except for how the Nets were then able to storm back, getting a huge boost from its role.

Players who not Onley tightened the score but actually defended enough to stop the bleeding.

Still, Chris Paul was out there looking more like 25 than 35.

He scored the son's final 11 points straight, including this little bit of point God magic there, that's nice.

And then three.

Yeah, after three.

Chris Paul who?

But James Harden right there with him.

Get the little finger roll.

Little nice.

Then with 31 seconds on the clock.

Yep, It's the pull up and money the Nets hold on to when it was the biggest second half comeback in franchise history.

Because, of course, it waas in this season, we see records being broken nearly every single night in this season.

Conditions were different.

Some teams, they're gonna be able to swim a whole lot further than they might otherwise.

No one more so, apparently, than the Brooklyn Nets.

So perk.

What was the most impressive part to you of the Nets come back last night?

Well, it was James Harden, and I think he gave us all a friendly reminder on why he led the league in scoring for three straight years.

When you look at this Big three in Brooklyn, when they all three are on the court together, James Harden takes a back seat and sacrifice and moved to that point guard position.

But we always questioning.

Why is James Harden only getting 15 shots, or why he only took 12 shots, but he also was.

He's also leading the league in assists.

But with Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving been out, James Harden said, You know what?

Let me remind the world that I could still put the ball in the basket and great fashion.

And he did just that against a tough Phoenix Suns team who had been on the town.

So when I look at what happened last night, James Harden was the most impressive thing.

Because dealing with this colon situation, we don't know what could happen in the postseason.

Kevin Durant might be out during the course of a Siri's, and James Harden might have to step up and go back to the James Harden.

Uh oh.

So I was more impressed by James Harden in the way that he dominated that second half.

Yeah, perk.

I think you hit it on the head, brother.

But, you know, first off, Phoenix is a team that's learning how to do it for 48 minutes, night in, night out.

So you're gonna see Phoenix have losses like this?

This is gonna happen as they mature around Chris Paul Crowder veterans like that.

But with that being said what?

I think the credit really should be going to Sean Marks on the roster construction because not only does he have big time stars on this team that can carry United at night out of somebody's out, but the role players.

They got really good role players.

They're so deep.

They got got like Tyler Johnson, who is the third point guard on their team, scoring 17 last night.

We know what Joe Harris can do.

They got multiple guys that can shoot that ball, get it going and knock down shots.

And when you put a guy like it could be James Harden out with K D.

One night and Kyrie is the guy carrying them.

It could be Katie carrying them without the other two guys.

That's how talented they are.

That's how the roster is constructed, and they could light it up on any given night.

Well, it's funny you mentioned Sean Marks.

Of course.

Sean Marks and Steve Nash got to know each other, not in Brooklyn, but when they were teammates back in Phoenix.

And in fact, the crowd last night in Phoenix gave a huge ovation to Steve Nash.

Steve Nash, of course, made a joke that Robert Sarver was still making money off of him because they lead extra fans in the building last night.

But that whole team, right, you've got Steve Nash at the helm, coaching.

You've got Amar E.

Stoudemire there on the coaching staff, of course.

Mike D'Antoni, also on the coaching staff.

Ah, lot of Phoenix connections.

It was nice in the building last night.

And, of course, as you note Sean Marks as well, Thanks for watching ESPN on YouTube for live streaming sports and premium content subscribed to ESPN plus.