Since arriving in Philadelphia at the 2022 trade deadline, James Harden has accepted a reduced offensive role, playing second fiddle to Joel Embiid. Harden’s 25.0% usage rate in 79 regular season games since joining the Sixers is his lowest mark since his last year in Oklahoma City in 2011/12.
With Embiid sidelined for Game 1 of the Sixers’ second-round series vs. Boston, however, Harden turned in a vintage performance, matching his career playoff high with 45 points on 17-of-30 shooting in a narrow upset victory. While the scoring outburst may have surprised many observers, Harden suggested in his postgame comments that it was simply a matter of adjusting his mindset on offense.
“My coaches, my teammates, what they expect me to do all throughout the course of the year was be a facilitator and get Joel the basketball and score when necessary. Joel wasn’t here tonight, you know what I mean?” Harden said, per ESPN’s Tim Bontemps. “…Now it’s like, ‘All right, open the floor. James, you be aggressive.’ And tonight, I was aggressive. So, it’s not that I’m not capable of doing it, it just … this is my role for this team. Now, if you want me to do (what I did) tonight, then I can do that as well.”
Here’s more from around the Atlantic:
- Joel Embiid worked out on Tuesday afternoon, but Sixers head coach Doc Rivers said there’s “no change in his status” yet, Bontemps writes for ESPN.com. Previous reporting suggested there was optimism about Embiid’s ability to return from his knee injury for Game 2. While Rivers didn’t confirm that, he did say that Philadelphia’s Game 1 win won’t make the team any less willing to bring back the star center for Game 2. “It’s just health-based,” Rivers said. “If he can play, he plays. If he can’t, he can’t. And if it’s 50-50, we would probably err on (the side of sitting him), because we’ve done that all year.”
- Following the Celtics‘ disappointing Game 1 loss, Al Horford told reporters that the team lacked defensive urgency and that he believes Embiid’s absence contributed to that, according to Jamal Collier of ESPN. Celtics guard Malcolm Brogdon hypothesized that other Sixers players felt “empowered” with Embiid unavailable. “Everybody else has the green light and guys are gonna step up, and I thought that’s what happened tonight,” Brogdon said, per Jared Weiss of The Athletic. “I think we expected that, guys to step up, but we still struggled with it. We just gotta be prepared.”
- Even though he believes he still has “a lot left in the tank,” Knicks guard Derrick Rose has embraced his role as a veteran mentor who’s not part of the rotation, writes Marc J. Spears of Andscape. “I’m fully invested in everything to be here. And if I (wasn’t), I wouldn’t be on the team,” Rose said. “… I’m thankful that they didn’t trade me or buy me out or waive me. I’m happy I have some type of value.”
Harden should have had more points. He got absolutely mugged in the paint several time and whistles were silent. It was driving me crazy how Tatum was using his off-arm to push defenders out of the way and not getting called for it. Happy the 76ers prevailed despite the crappy job by the refs.
Totally agree, the beard stood tall in the face of the brutal abuse by both the celtics and the in the pocket referees. Toby stepped up,melts and mad max big time also. Docs coaching excellent! Let’s take two in Beantown and send those nasty celtics down to Philly with their tails between their legs.
Derrick Rose continues to teach a MasterClass on veteran leadership in the NBA.
Kristaps Porziņģis, Devin Ebanks, and Anthony Lamb could probably learn a thing to from Derrick Rose. Like how to play dumb and beat a rape charge.
porzingus don’t need to learn anything, he’s white
Point taken.
It’s not just white or black, it’s always about the green.
A greed that they have all agreed to
@KBlow Yeah, those poor black NBA basketball players don’t get any special treatment. It’s so unfair.
Your comment speaks more about your issues with race and how little critical thought you put into the subject.
Celtics players have lacked urgency for years. Idk why people are acting like this is new.
I’ve heard quite a bit of shot-clock whining today. “We should have been saved by the bell” nonsense! Absolutely horrendous pass in a close game with seconds left, Ref should have given Maxey a free throw, too! lol
Cause Tatum is only 19
Could it be that the Sixers offense is better without Embiid sucking up a good chunk?
No.
no, but even if true, their defense isn’t better. Embiid is a great rim protector.