After two games and two away wins, James Harden wore the Philadelphia 76ers jersey for the first time in his career at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia. The reception there was phenomenal with a sold-out meeting and fans who had made it big with false beards and signs galore. “It was a play-off atmosphere, appreciated Joel Embiid. We must pay tribute to the supporters here, for years, they have always responded. »
Even the timid start to the game from Harden (he waited almost seven minutes before unlocking his points counter) and his team in general (led by 16 points, 28-44, in the 15e minute) did not dampen the mood. And then everything came together in a one-sided third quarter (38-19 for Philadelphia). In the end, Harden took the measure of the game, almost signing a triple double with 26 points (8 of 13 shooting), 9 rebounds and 9 assists. In its wake, Philadelphia made short work of Knicks lost in defense (123-108).
The Harden-Embiid-Maxey trio still in verve
“I just wanted to return the love that was given to me”explained the former Brooklyn player who keeps repeating how comfortable he feels in this franchise within this workforce. “I feel like you can put me where you want and I can adapt”he noted with a goal on this end of the regular season: “To be the best James Harden you can be. » For now, it’s already a much better version than the one seen with the Nets in recent months. But Harden wasn’t the only one effective for the 76ers. Joel Embiid scored a double-double with 27 points (on just 15 shots), 12 rebounds and 4 assists. Second-year point guard Tyrese Maxey confirmed that he found his place perfectly alongside this duo with another successful performance (25 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists).
On the Knicks side, the slide continues (16 defeats in the last 19 matches) for a team unable to capitalize on its good periods, the fault of an absent defense and catastrophic third quarters. An observation symbolized by this time out that Tom Thibodeau took after less than a minute in the second half, unhappy with the involvement of his players. RJ Barrett (30 points) and Julius Randle (24 points) contributed offensively but turned 43% shooting. As for Evan Fournier, he had a night without, scoring only three points to one in eight shooting (27 minutes of play). He added two interceptions and a block.
