Nets hope return to Brooklyn helps Joe Harris, other role players, find shots again against Bucks

There’s an adage in basketball that role players shoot worse on the road. It certainly held true in this series with the Nets, who were eager to get back to Barclays Center after bombing in Milwaukee.

Brooklyn’s offense sputtered in Games 3 and 4, with its 3-point shooting falling to 27 percent on 65 attempts. 10-for-33.

One of the biggest culprits of the struggle was Joe Harris, a key cog all season who managed just 11 points over the two games while shooting 4-for-19.

Harris, who was given a four-year, $75 million deal before the season, acknowledged the need for personal improvement, especially after his 1-for-11 dud in Game 2. He also misfired a wide-open potential go-ahead jumper in the final minute.

“Two games ago obviously was a struggle just in terms of offensive production kind of all the way around, but me individually, particularly, one of my worst shooting nights,” Harris said following Tuesday’s morning workout. “But I thought the next game certainly better, continued to get good looks. And that’s the whole goal.

“My job is to be aggressive, hunting shots, facilitate offense with pace, allow guys to get room and rhythm looks themselves just by the movement, screening, whatever it might be on my end. It’s not necessarily about me scoring X amount of points. It’s about me just trying to initiate offense and helping put the ball in the hole regardless of who it is.”

The Nets were second in the NBA in scoring this season at 118.2 points per game but failed to crack 100 in both contests at Fiserv Forum. Certainly part of that is injuries to James Harden and Kyrie Irving. But the Nets have been forced all season into situations without their star players and responded well. Harris said that bellied confidence ahead of Tuesday’s pivotal Game 6.

“Just having the experience where we didn’t have a fully healthy roster for much of the entire regular season and it was a lot of different lineups, different guys in and out,” Harris said. “That just provides opportunities for other guys. But also there’s a confidence amongst everybody on this team that no matter whose number is called you can step in and play your game, play with confidence, and help contribute.”

The Nets have one of the league’s best players in Durant, which also means he’ll be the focus of the defense’s attention. Harris said the Nets can’t simply watch Durant play hero ball.

“I think everyone else is going to have to have more of an aggressive mindset because you just can’t totally rely on Kevin,” he said. “You know, Kevin’s not going to score 100 points. So you got to get production elsewhere. You hope he takes a lot of shots and is efficient and plays well. But everybody else has got to step up and play aggressive and play with confidence.”