The New York Knicks might have drafted their most prolific scorer in a long time, just in time to welcome a scoring machine who briefly plied his trade just miles away from Madison Square Garden.
RJ Barrett will look to build off a career-high performance when the Knicks host James Harden and the Philadelphia 76ers on Sunday afternoon.
Barrett’s 46 points weren’t enough on Friday for the host Knicks, who dropped a 115-100 decision to the Miami Heat.
Harden made his 76ers debut Friday night, when he recorded 27 points and 12 assists in Philadelphia’s 133-102 win over the visiting Minnesota Timberwolves.
Barrett returned from a four-game absence due to a sprained left ankle and almost single-handedly lifted the Knicks past the Heat. The 21-year-old scored four points in a game-opening 10-0 run before he pumped in 19 consecutive points for New York over a span of 6:38 bridging the second and third quarters.
The 46 points shattered Barrett’s previous career high of 36, set Feb. 5 against the Los Angeles Lakers. His point total was the most by a Knicks player since Carmelo Anthony scored 46 points against the Utah Jazz on Nov. 14, 2014. Barrett, the No. 3 overall pick of the 2019 draft, is the first player drafted by the Knicks to score at least 46 points in a game since Patrick Ewing reached that total against the Boston Celtics on March 7, 1995.
“It’s bittersweet,” Barrett said following the Knicks’ fourth straight loss and eighth in nine games. “Especially when you have a night like that you want to get the win, which is the most important thing. For us, we fought. We really battled.”
The 76ers are hoping the addition of Harden will be the final piece of the puzzle that gets them into the NBA Finals for the first time since 2001. Philadelphia acquired Harden and Paul Millsap from the Nets at the trade deadline in exchange for Seth Curry, Andre Drummond, Ben Simmons and a pair of No. 1 draft picks.
Harden, who was sidelined with a left hamstring injury at the time of the trade, missed the 76ers’ next four games before making an impact on Friday.
Joel Embiid also had a double-double (34 points and 10 rebounds) alongside Harden, who made 7 of 12 shots from the floor — including 5 of 7 from 3-point range. He also had eight rebounds.
“We’re unselfish, we just want to win,” Harden said. “We’ve got guys, from top to bottom, that it feels that way on the court. Great things are going to happen more times than not. My job is to come in and add to each individual on this team.”
Embiid paid Harden a compliment after the Sixers posted their fourth win in five games.
“I’ve never been wide open like this in my life,” Embiid said. “Seriously, the passing — like, I wasn’t even expecting it and it was just coming.”
–Field Level Media