A unique night of James Harden gave the victory to Philadelphia 76ers against Boston Celtics and without Joel Embiid

to their 33 years oldlos Playoffs NBA they saw the best james harden that has been seen since his arrival in the league in 2009. Statistically –45 points-, for having scored the game-winner With which Philadelphia beat Boston 119-115 in the first game of the Semi del Este and above all, for the response he gave in a match in which, sin Joel Embiidthe Sixers relied almost exclusively on what he did The beard.

Y The beard responded like never before.

Harden finished with 45 points, 6 assists and a 17-30 fieldincluding the winning triple, with which Philadelphia took advantage of two with 8 seconds left. then a Paul Reed’s Robot against Marcus Smart and two free from Reed himselfThey sentenced the final 119-115.

Harden’s 45 points were his maximum in any instance with the Sixers and equaled his all-time high in playoffs (He had also reached 45 in 2015 with the Rockets.) So many times he called him, that sometimes, he had to answer.

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Without Embiid? It doesn’t matter, because the best James Harden ever seen in the Playoffs appeared #NBA

45 points (playoff cap) and game-winner to win in Bostonpic.twitter.com/0Kf2N9T57p

— ???????????? ???????????????????????????????? ???????????????? Argentina ???????? (@sportingnewsar) May 2, 2023

Outside of Harden, the winner was also important Tyrese Maxeywho added 26 points, including a 2+1 in the clutch and a double to move to the front in the final 30 secondsafter a blunder by Malcolm Brogdon.

Brogdon just gave it to Maxey to take the lead ???? pic.twitter.com/Ytzdy2yDi2

— Complex Sports (@ComplexSports) May 2, 2023

Tobias Harris helped with 18 points, De’Anthony Melton added 17 units (all in the first half, with a 5-5 triple in that stretch) and Paul Reed had a good game as Joel Embiid’s replacement in the starting lineup: 10 points, 13 rebounds, 3-4 from the field, 4-4 in free throws, converting his four singles in the last minute and giving that key steal in the defense of the game.

For Boston, the 39 points and 11 rebounds by Jayson Tatumthe 23 of Jaylen Brown nor the 20 of Malcolm Brogdon. The Celtics lost a game in which they threw a 59% from the field, 94% in free throws and 39% in triples. However, the greens added the double losses than their rival (16 vs. 8) and they paid dearly for some mistakes in the decisive stretch.

He Wednesdayhe Game 2 at the TD Gardenmaybe with the Embiid’s return for some Sixers who already got what they went to Boston to look for.

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