James Harden Rolls Back the Clock and Leads Sixers to Victory

The 76ers finally got a win against the Boston Celtics in their Eastern Conference semifinal series to even the best-of-seven series at 2-2. The Sunday afternoon game proved to be a challenge for both teams, but it was James Harden who stepped up and lifted the 76ers to a 116-115 victory with a baseline 3-pointer with 19 seconds left in overtime. Harden’s performance was a stark contrast to Games 2 and 3, in which he failed to deliver as he had in the past. Doc Rivers, the Sixers coach, even sent him a song to remind him of his identity. “James had to get himself back,” Rivers said, and Harden’s 42 points, nine assists, eight rebounds, and four steals did just that.

The Philadelphians have been waiting for their team to make it to the finals. The 76ers made the conference finals in 2001, losing in five games to the Los Angeles Lakers. The Process, the franchise’s rebuild strategy, involved playing abysmal basketball for several seasons while collecting top draft picks, one of which they used to select Embiid. The team’s star players, including Embiid and Harden, traded for last season, now carry the team’s mandate to vie for a championship.

During the regular season, Harden facilitated more than he scored, with an average of 10.7 assists per game. He let Embiid be the focus, centering his plays around him. But in Game 1 against the Celtics, when Embiid was out, Harden got Houston Rocket-like and scored 45 points. In Games 2 and 3, he was conscious of his teammate’s presence and failed to deliver, shooting a total of 5 of 28 from the field and 2 of 13 from 3-point range.

The Sunday afternoon game saw Harden summon his old self and deliver. Despite the 76ers giving up a 16-point lead with Jayson Tatum scoring 22 of his 24 points after halftime, Harden shouldered the load for the team. Rivers identified areas that needed improvement from the Game 3 film, and the team regrouped. Unfortunately, their offense stalled in the fourth quarter, but Harden and his playoff experience came through in overtime.

Harden and his team still have a few more games to show whether The Process has paid off with a championship win. Rivers said, “You worked on that question for 48 hours, and that’s what you came up with? Whatever high is, I’m going to assume it’s high.”