All-Star Nets guard James Harden will miss the fourth game of Brooklyn’s second-round playoff series against the Bucks on Sunday with right hamstring tightness, per Malika Andrews of ESPN.
Harden’s Nets teammate Jeff Green, meanwhile, has seen his status upgraded to questionable ahead of Game 4. Green has been sidelined from Brooklyn’s postseason with a left plantar fascia strain since the third game of the Nets’ first-round series against the Celtics, which the Nets won 4-1. Nash had indicated ahead of Game 3 that a Green return appeared imminent.
Nets head coach Steve Nash noted that Harden is “progressing” from his right hamstring injury. However, Nash stopped short of suggesting a timeline for Harden’s return. The Nets have survived ably without one of their three All-Stars and a key forward in Green thus far during the series. Brooklyn is currently up 2-1 against Milwaukee, with the lone loss the result of a seemingly fluky drop in offensive production from Brooklyn’s bench.
Guard Bruce Brown has started in Harden’s place, while reserve point guard Mike James has seen an increased minutes load. The defensive-oriented Brown has also taken some of Green’s minutes in the rotation, functioning as a (very) small ball center in pick-and-rolls. All-Star Nets point guard Kyrie Irving has taken over more ball-handling duties with Harden sidelined.
