And this was interesting because Harden playing without Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving, both inactive.

So he took over under 40 seconds left in the game.

It's a one point game.

Harden brings up the ball and drains the three clutch fired up The Nets trailed by as many as 24 in this game, and that three put the Nets in front.

Kyrie Katie fired up about it, too, and looking hard representing next.

Sons possession.

Here's what happened.

Devin Booker, off the ball on the block.

Can't get it to go.

The Nets outscore the sun's 40 to 24 in the fourth.

Nets coming back toe one at 1 28 1.

24 Harden.

38 points, 11 assists, seven rebounds.

Talking about you better recognize Brooklyn?

Yeah, the true definition of a team.

You know, One man to man go down Makes me it up.

Tonight was a perfect example of that.

Um got down 20 times at half time and we didn't We didn't give up.

We didn't quit.

We kept fighting and cut the deficit down and kept fighting and give ourselves a chance.

Is one of the end of the game and things went away for more on the Nets and all things MBA.

Let's bring in Stephen A.

Smith, Stephen A.

What message did James Harden sent to the league last night, leading that 24 point comeback against a good son's team without K D and Kyra that he could do what the hell he wants to do?

Whatever he wants to do, However, he wants to do it on the offensive side of the floor and that he is still one of the elite players this game has ever seen.

Don't get it twisted.

He came into camp out of shape, came into the season out of shape because he no longer wanted to be a member, the Houston Rockets.

And as a result, he wanted to send a message emphatically.

I might add that under no circumstances was he willing to stay in Houston for this season.

He was starving toe add to Brooklyn or Philadelphia because he wanted the legitimate shot to compete for a championship, and he knew that wasn't going to happen this particular season in Houston.

So he arrived in Brooklyn.

First of all, he started off season again in Houston against Portland and and dropped, like 44 or what have you when he was bloated and out of shape once he got to Brooklyn?

The man has averaged 28 24 points, 11.8 assists, nearly eight rebounds, or more than eight rebounds a game.

Is shooting 50% from the field, is shooting 40% from three point range.

And this is a guy that's averaged over 30 the last three years as the number one offensive option in the n befor the Houston Rockets.

So again, you look at the selflessness you look at his his acumen, his basketball I Q.

His ability to run a show.

Chire e's willingness to defer to him.

Let him play the point guard.

I'll just score.

You handle all of that point guard responsibilities.

He's spelling for tight Kyrie Irving in that regard, He's, he's he's helping out Kevin Durant, and this is why the Brooklyn Nets are a team that I have coming out of the Eastern Conference, a new represent the East in the N B.

A Finals.

Well, he is doing it all offensively right now.

By the way, the Nets say that Kevin Durant is out for Thursday's game against the Lakers.

Kyrie Irving listed as probable, much more from Stephen A.

Throughout the show.

Let's go to the N B A.

Here in the headlines around that league.

And how about this?

The best team in the league is in Utah the last time the Jazz 1 1920 during the Stockton Malone Era 96 97 season.

They reached the finals that year, but the Bulls and Michael Jordan walked away his chance.

In fact, none of the previous five teams that have this kind of winning stretch ended up winning it all, all the whole thing.

And that includes the Bucks.

Last season, the 73 win Warriors in 2016.

So we want to note that it has been done before, winning 1920 that you win it all last team to lose only once in a 20 game stretch and win it all.

The Spurs.

Seven years ago, they won 19 straight, just after the All Star break before beating the Heat in five games for the title.

That same Heat team had actually won the previous year in the same fashion.

Miami won 27 straight games, going nearly two full months without a single loss before beating the Spurs in the finals.

The Lakers, Kobe and Shaq multiple long winning streaks in route to the title in 2000.

They won 16 straight before the All Star break in later 19 games in a row, lost once and then won the next 11 and Phil Jackson coach those Lakers.

He also coached the Bulls in that 95 96 season, when they won 31 times in a 32 game span.

That's literally losing one time in a four month timeframe.

Chicago went on the win three straight titles.

So Stephen A.

With all that information and history, I present you here.

How do you view the Jazz as a threat in the West, specifically to LeBron and the Lakers?

Well, when you say LeBron and the Lakers, if that includes a healthy Anthony Davis, I don't consider that much of a threat at all.

If it does not include a healthy Anthony Davis, then the West is wide eyes wide open and the Utah Jazz have a legitimate shot.

They play together.

They play sound, their elite defensively ranked third in the league.

They're pretty damn elite offensively at this particular moment in time, ranking fourth in the league.

And they're led by a guy who I believe is an emerging superstar in this league.

In Donovan Mitchell, they've got a perimeter defender and Royce O'Neill.

They've got an interior defending Rudy go beer, averaging 14 and 13 with nearly three blocks a game.

You look at Bogdanovich.

That's a huge pickup as well.

You look at my Mike Conley Jr.

The way he's been balling.

He deserves a lot of credit and they play selflessly, and any time you're doing that, it seems to be attractive.

Here's the problem with that, though.

Kevin, you and I both know it all your years of watching basketball.

You understand that as the pressure mounts, you know what?

Palms get sweaty, backsides get tight, and the reality of the situation is that the stars show up.

But sometimes some of the other dudes do not.

I have no doubt Donovan Mitchell is going to show up.

It's the other parts around them that I have significant concerns about when things really, really get tight and so this distributing the basketball being fanned diplomatic with it.

I'm just shaky as to whether or not I'm gonna be able to rely on those dudes to get it done when it really, really counts.

And that's why I have the Houston to Utah Jazz as a question mark.

They'll make the playoffs.

They'll get past the first round.

But beyond that, I got to see it to believe it, because the only person I truly believe in is Donovan Mitchell.

You know what the one thing that stands out is?

John is talking about this team.

They have fun.

That's what you noticed.

When they play ball, we'll see how that carries out into the summer.

Utah.

What else you expect to do with basketball?

E having fun?

E.

I love you so much more from you and those great opinions.

Top of the hour.

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