James Harden, the secret of race 4 is the message from Doc Rivers

James Harden redeems himself after two disappointing performances in Games 2 and 3 of the Eastern Conference semifinal series between the Philadelphia 76ers and the Boston Celtics. 76ers coach Doc Rivers decided to give him a star boost before Game 4 by sending him a gospel song titled “You Know My Name.”

Harden recounts, “I was on my way to the game and I got a text from Doc. It was a gospel song and I was like, ‘Okay, let’s give it a try.’ I listened to it with my friends for its entire seven minutes and thought there must be some auspiciousness in that song. And I guess it worked.”

In fact, Harden dominated the game, scoring 42 points on 16-of-23 shooting, including 6-of-9 three-pointers, as well as eight rebounds, nine assists, four steals, one blocked shot and just one game loss in 47 minutes. He hit the game-tying field goal in the closing seconds of regulation and then a game-winning three-pointer with 19 seconds left in overtime to give the 76ers a 116-115 overtime victory at the Wells Fargo Center.

Thanks to Harden bringing his MVP talent back to the field, the 76ers got the better of the Celtics. With 15 seconds left in overtime, Harden scored the passing shot on a big play designed by Rivers that capitalized on pairing Embiid and Tatum, forcing Jaylen Brown to double up and leaving Harden clear for the game-winning shot.

Brown admitted his mistake: “It was a bad read. A gamble at the wrong time. Great shot by James Harden, but that’s my fault. I take full responsibility for it. Just a bad read.”

Harden reiterated his will to win: “I just want to win no matter what. Today was a decisive match for us… We found a way to win, and that’s all that matters in the playoffs.”