James Harden gives Embiid-less Sixers an unexpected win
The last time James Harden scored 45 points in a playoff game, it was 2015. His Houston Rockets, who lost 3 to 0 in the Western Conference Finals, proudly won a home game against the upcoming champion Golden State Warriors.
On Monday night, Harden tied that career playoff high in a much more important game.
With the star of the Philadelphia 76ers and NBA scoring champion, Joel Embiid, out with a knee sprain, Harden scored another 45 to give the Sixers an unexpected one-game lead against none over the higher-ranked Celtics, 119-115at TD Garden in Boston.
Points 43, 44 and 45 were the biggest, coming on a bloodless three-pointer while closely guarded by Al Horford to give the 76ers a 117-115 lead with just over eight seconds left. On the next play, Marcus Smart of the Celtics cleared the ball into traffic under the basket, and two free throws wrapped it for Philadelphia.
“I wondered if they would put two on the ball”, Harden said about the possibility of a double team at the starting gun. “It was one on one. So then I look up, I’m just, okay, this is what I work on every day. Get the best picture available, whatever it is. Get up and shoot it.
Harden made 17 baskets on 30 shots, both season highs. He made seven 3-pointers on 14 shots, also both season highs. He also had a team-high six assists.
From the first possession, the 33-year-old Harden took it upon himself to score Philadelphia points by hitting a 10-foot jumper.
“Whatever they gave me, I got up and took a shot,” said Harden after the game. “Whether it’s a 3, whether it’s a floater, whether it’s a midrange jumper.”
Asked why there was no double team on the last shot, So said Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla: “That was one of our best defenders. He’s made a big hit.”
Paul Reed had 13 rebounds that fell in the middle for Embiid. He had a career-high 15 in Game 4 of the Sixers’ first-round sweep of the Nets, a game Embiid also missed.
Going into Monday night’s game, the Celtics were not only favored in the series, but also to win the NBA title. They were a 9.5 point favorite to win Game 1 at home in the absence of Embiid.
Worryingly for the rest of the series, the Celtics actually played pretty well on Monday, hitting 58.7 percent of their shots and outscoring the 76ers by 10. But they never seemed able to stop Harden.
“We have chances to bounce back,” Mazzulla said succinctly.
After three scoring titles and a Most Valuable Player Award with the Houston Rockets, Harden had built an impressive legacy. But it was somewhat tarnished by an unsuccessful and injury-plagued two seasons with the Nets. When he was traded to the 76ers in early 2022, most of the focus was on the Sixers finally getting rid of Ben Simmons, rather than their acquisition of Harden.
Harden fits right in as Embiid’s lieutenant in Philadelphia. He led the league in assists per game this season with 10.7 and averaged 21 points.
Embiid darted around, but didn’t run in training on Monday. Coach Doc Rivers said he didn’t know if Embiid would play in Game 2 on Wednesday.
At least for one game, mostly thanks to Harden, the Sixers didn’t need him.