James Harden notches triple-double in Nets debut

Final update — Harden put together a masterpiece in his first game as a Net. he finished with a triple-double and posted 32 points, 12 rebounds, 14 assists, and four steals. he was patient at first but got more aggressive as the game went on. Durant rattled home a season-high 42 points on 26 shots. It’s scary to think about what this team could be when Irving returns from his hiatus.

Third-quarter update — Harden is nearing a triple-double with 19 points, 10 assists, and 8 rebounds on 6-of-13 shooting. He also has four steals so far in his well-rounded Nets debut. His patented step-back is still effective and he’ll look to help carry the Nets to a victory down the stretch in a close game.

Halftime update — Harden is warming up and has done a little bit of everything. He has 8 points on 3-of-7 shooting and has racked up 5 rebounds, 7 assists, and a trio of steals. A triple-double is definitely in play at this point. Let’s take a look at some of his better first-half highlights.

Here’s his first bucket as a Net.

Here’s a display of some strong defense and transition offense.

It looks like Harden and Jeff Green still have plenty of chemistry.

First-quarter update — Harden had a quiet first quarter with the Nets and failed to convert either of his two shot attempts. The Beard scored two points from the charity stripe to go along with 3 rebounds, 2 assists, a steal, and a block. We’ll see a lot more from Harden as he gets comfortable in his new environment.

The 7-6 Brooklyn Nets host the 6-6 Orlando Magic on Saturday with tip-off set for 6 p.m. ET. The game airs on YES Network and can be live-streamed with a free trial at FuboTV. The two teams are in the middle of the playoff pack, but the real story tonight is James Harden’s debut with the Nets. The guard forced his way out of Houston and now looks to begin a title run in Brooklyn.

Harden hasn’t played since he posted 16 points, 7 rebounds, and 6 assists on 5-of-16 shooting for the Rockets against the Los Angeles Lakers on Jan. 12. While that disappointing defeat led Harden to publicly question the ability of his team to compete for a title in the Western Conference, he’ll get a chance to play alongside two of the NBA’s very best. Kevin Durant is a full go for Saturday but Kyrie Irving, who has been on leave for personal reasons since Jan. 5 won’t return to action until next week.

We can’t enjoy seeing all the members of the NBA’s newest big three on the court at once, but we can enjoy Harden rocking his new team’s colors.