The Philadelphia 76ers won Game 1 against the Boston Celtics and James Harden dropped a 45-pointer to annihilate the Celtics’ defence. He did hit back at the critics after a superb display of shooting and especially in the absence of his superstar teammate Joel Embiid.
The Sixers won the match by 119-115 but it was a very good start to their series as it came at the TD Garden. Celtics on the other hand were not exceptional in defense and they did pay the price. If they continue defending like that then they will surely lose this series and with Embiid coming back, things could get much worse.
It was all Celtics before this game as most people thought that they had enough firepower to beat the Sixers without their main star. It was a great opportunity for the Celtics to take a lead at home heading into the second game and mainly because of Embiid’s absence.
But Harden seized the moment for the Sixers and turned back the clock. He showcased elite shooting from the guard as he dropped 45 points and simply dominated the Celtics’ defence.
After the game, he answered his critics and also called them for being a hypocrite. He said, “Throughout the entire year, people expect me to be the scoring James Harden and the James Harden that goes out there and gets 40, 50 points. And then people talk: ‘Oh, you can’t win like that. And then I’ll go out there and get 20 points and 11 assists. And it’s like, ‘Well, he’s not the old James Harden no more.”
Harden in his prime would average the high 30s but now he has become more of a team man who is satisfied with a 20-pointer but plays a very active role in the playmaking and moving the ball around. Hence many fans feel that Harden cannot score the 40s and 50s anymore and this performance was an answer to all those critics.
He has transformed as a player ever since he left Houston Rockets. He had to adjust in a team with Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving at Brooklyn and now he shares the court with Joel Embiid at Philadelphia. Harden focused more on team building and paying attention to chemistry to win games than just coming up with massive points each game.
He definitely sacrificed his shot attempts and has found other ways to help his team win. He has been one of the best playmakers in the NBA this year, he averages 10.7 assists per game. But in Embiid’s absence, he knew that he had to roll back the years and score the bulk of points.
