After a third straight performance in a 76ers uniform – but a first in front of fans at the Wells Fargo Center – James Harden said he felt at home in Philadelphia.
“We love you James”
“It’s just exciting”Harden said after finishing with 26 points, nine rebounds and nine assists in Philadelphia’s 123-108 win over the New York Knicks in front of a cheering crowd here Thursday morning. “Love, fans, it’s like home. Just the love, the support, man, to look around, to hear, ‘We love you James’. It pushes me to play harder, and I just wanted to do whatever it takes to get the win”.
So far in a 76ers uniform, Harden is 3 wins in 3 games. Philadelphia is now two games away from the Heat for first place in the Eastern Conference standings. But everyone was thinking only of Harden, who finally stepped onto the court in uniform in front of his newfound fans for the first time since Philadelphia acquired him in the Ben Simmons deal with the Brooklyn Nets a while ago. three weeks. Harden’s slow recovery from hamstring injuries that marked his final days in Brooklyn caused him to miss the team’s final home game, Feb. 15, and he made his debut last Friday in Minneapolis against the Timberwolves before playing again Sunday at Madison Square Garden against the Knicks.
These two games, like Thursday morning against New York, ended in victory for Philadelphia. And even though this great experiment is only in its infancy and much tougher opponents await them, everyone involved is quite happy with the first progress the team has made.
“I mean, we’re all well matched”, said Joel Embiid, who finished with 27 points, 12 rebounds, four assists, one steal and two blocks in 34 minutes. “You have someone like James coming in with his experience, his playmaking and scoring ability, and you add what he adds and he’s been amazing, and what we have in the team. Everything agrees.“
He’s adjusting, in part, thanks to the continued emergence of second-year point guard Tyrese Maxey, who has taken another step forward after impressing as a starting point guard all season when Simmons was absent from the squad at looking for an exchange. Maxey’s 25-point performance on Wednesday was his third straight 20+ point performance since Harden joined the team. On Wednesday, 21 of Maxey’s points came after halftime when he said Harden woke him up.
“James approached me and asked if I was going to play today,” Maxey said smiling at their halftime conversation, “And I said, ‘Yeah’. “Having guys like James, [Embiid]Tobias [Harris], who just tell me that I have to be aggressive…. I can’t start like that by being passive. “I have to help these guys and we have to help these guys as a team as much as possible. “.
A possible title for Harden?
When the 76ers were introduced before the game, Eminem’s song “Lose Yourself” rang through the speakers and bounced around the packed arena. The song, which is about seizing the moment and not letting go of what might be your only chance for glory, was fitting when you consider the 76ers as a whole. Harden’s acquisition was made with a view to winning the championship, both for Harden, who is just one ring short of his resume to make it into the Hall of Fame, and for the 76ers, who don’t. haven’t won a championship in nearly 40 years and haven’t reached the NBA Finals since 2001.
Starting Friday, when the Cleveland Cavaliers come here, the 76ers will play nine of their next ten games against Top 8 teams before embarking on a five-game road trip to end the month – a much tougher time than the first three games they played under the Harden era. For now, the 76ers are going to take the wins when they can get them, while continuing to try to build what they hope will be a long playoff streak in the spring.
“Every game will be difficult for us”, Harden said. “We are new, we are quite new, we are still learning from each other. Every game will be a learning experience for us, and we just have to find ways to keep improving whether we win or lose. Obviously it’s better when you win, but it will be a great test for us and we’re looking forward to it.”
Nicolas Depres
