For the third consecutive game with James Harden in the mix, the Philadelphia 76ers blew out their opponent.
This time, it came in Harden’s debut at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia against the struggling New York Knicks Wednesday evening.
Acquired from the Brooklyn Nets in the blockbuster Ben Simmons trade last month, Harden continued his dominating ways with the 76ers.
The former NBA MVP scored 26 points on 8-of-13 shooting while dishing out nine assists and grabbing nine rebounds.
It was a brilliant second half performance from Harden, Joel Embiid and the ever-improving Tyrese Maxey. Down by seven heading into the half, Philadelphia outscored New York by 22 in the second half. The three combined for 78 points on 22-of-40 shooting.
As for James Harden, this represented a continuation of some dominating play from the embattled guard since joining Philadelphia. He averaged 28.0 points, 9.0 rebounds and 14.0 assists over his first two games with the team — leading the 76ers to consecutive wins by a combined margin of 47 points.
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By now, it’s already known that Harden was not happy in his first full season with the Brooklyn Nets. Internal drama surrounding guard Kyrie Irving and a questionable relationship with Kevin Durant added another layer to this.
Now on a championship contending 76ers squad, it seems like everything has changed for the former NBA MVP. He talked about that following Wednesday’s blowout win over New York.
As for Philadelphia 76ers fans, they dealt with some major drama involving Ben Simmons before his trade to Brooklyn on February 10. It seems like the fans are appreciative of what Harden is bringing to the table.
There’s every reason for Philadelphia fans to be in high spirits right now. It has won three consecutive with Harden in the mix by a combined 62 points. Joel Embiid continues to play at an MVP level. And in reality, this is now looking like the team to beat back east.