Getty James Harden #1 of the Philadelphia 76ers reacts in front of Tyler Herro #14 of the Miami Heat.
Heading into the postseason, James Harden was easily the most talked about player on the Philadelphia 76ers. With Joel Embiid leading the charge, it was time to see if the former MVP could inch the team closer to their championship aspirations.
The pressure grew for Harden as the Sixers prepared for their semifinal matchup with Miami Heat. Since Embiid was sidelined due to injury, it was on him to pick up the slack as the team’s lone All-Star. He did what he could, but Miami still jumped out to a 2-0 lead to open the series.
Following a big win in Game 3, the Sixers had an opportunity to fully shift the tide in their favor. They did not let this opportunity go to waste, thanks to a phenomenal showing from Harden himself.
This performance might arguably be Harden’s best since his arrival in Philadelphia. In 40 minutes of action, he scored a team-high 31 points to go along with seven rebounds and nine assists. One person who was extremely impressed by Harden’s outing was Kendrick Perkins. The former champion took to Twitter to send a message to the rest of the league.
If James Harden wakes up…
That’s the tweet. Let’s leave it at that. Carry on…
James Harden Turning Back The Clock
Over the past few weeks, Harden has caught a lot of flack for his aggressiveness and low scoring numbers. Whether he heard the outside noise or not, the All-Star guard went out and Game 4 and reminded everyone why he was once one of the NBA’s most prolific offensive talents.
After focusing on getting others going out of the gate, Harden took the initiative to create some scoring opportunities for himself. Following a strong performance in the second quarter, it was clear he was feeling confident and playing with swagger.
Once he settled in, Miami’s defense had no counter for Harden. He was breaking down defenders off the dribble to get to the rim and knocking down his patented step-back three with great efficiency. On top of this, Harden also went to the free-throw line ten times and converted nine attempts.
On a night where it was desperately needed, Harden took over in Game 4. Outings like this are what the league feared when the Sixers pushed all in to acquire him at the trade deadline. If he can build off this performance moving forward, the Heat are going to be in trouble as this series rages on.
All Comes Down To A Best Of Three
Despite how things may have looked for the Sixers after the first two games, it is a completely different series now. After taking care of business on their home floor, they have essentially hit the reset button. It all comes down to a best of three to decide which team will be moving on to the Eastern Conference Finals.
Since getting Embiid back, the Sixers have looked like a completely different team. Even though he isn’t 100%, his presence alone has made all the difference. Getting the MVP finalist back rejuvenated the squad as they slowly crawled their way out of an 0-2 hole.
In the playoffs, it’s all about getting hot at the right time. Based on their last two outings, the Sixers are trending in the right direction as they head to Miami to try and steal a pivotal win in Game 5.