“Game 2 win over Celtics made us complacent”: James Harden introspects why Nets lost Game 3 after Jayson Tatum scores 50 points at TD Garden

James Harden reacts after the Brooklyn Nets’ shock defeat against the Boston Celtics after Jayson Tatum drops 50 on their heads. 

Ever since bringing in James Harden, the Brooklyn Nets have by far been the favorites to win the 2021 NBA championship. And despite all the worries about their chemistry and defense, the team has proven that it can steamroll even the best NBA franchises. Or that was the perception until Jayson Tatum drew the power of prime Michael Jordan from his sneakers in game three.

Yep, after losing games 1 and 2, JT took it personally. During the game, the player made an impressive 5 threes. However, where he really ate, was the mid-range.

During crucial times, the Celtic hit fadeaway after fadeaway until the final buzzer. And honestly, the Nets looked a bit shell-shocked after it all ended.

During his postgame interview, Harden was asked about his thoughts on the game and what the loss meant for them. And after thinking for a moment, the star gave a very interesting answer.

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James Harden admits the Brooklyn Nets got a bit complacent 

James Harden may not have been on the winning side tonight, but his performance was nothing to sneeze at either. The Beard had 41 points, 7 rebounds, and 10 assists, on 61.1% from the field, and 58.3% from three. And because Kevin Durant had 39 points on good efficiency as well, it is clear that offense was not the problem here.

No, it was defense. The franchise has shown it can be elite on the other side of the ball but needs to put more effort. And honestly, that effort was simply lacking during game-3.

Speaking on the matter after the game, this is what James Harden had to say.

James Harden: “As much as we don’t want to lose, this is probably what’s good for us… Game 2 we played so well. It’s a reminder that things aren’t going to be so easy.”

— Malika Andrews (@malika_andrews) May 29, 2021

Frankly, if it’s a reminder that the team needed, they received it at the perfect time. The Boston Celtics may be hurt, but they’re not to be taken lightly. The team’s heart and grit are so high, any triflers, even the elite, could pay the price.

There is one thing though that will hurt Celtics fans about this game. It is living proof, that if Jaylen Brown was healthy, they would have stood a chance in this series.

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About the author

Tonoy Sengupta

Tonoy Sengupta is a Senior Editor at The SportsRush. Coming from an athletically inclined family, he has been surrounded by sports ever since he was 4 years old. But, while initially pouring all his time into Football (soccer), at 14, Tonoy discovered basketball through the countless highlights of Stephen Curry humiliating players from Curry Land. And just like that, a fiery passion for the game was ignited within Tonoy. And soon after, he decided to become a student of journalism, graduating in 2022, and choosing sports as his area of interest. Today, you can find him spending 99% of his time browsing through every type of content on every team in the NBA, before uncorking everything he has found to the world. In the 1% he isn't doing this, you can find him playing Basketball, Football, Volleyball, or practically any other sport he has had the opportunity to learn.

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