"Did James Harden hit South Beach at halftime of tonight's Game 1 in Miami?" - Skip Bayless takes scathing dig at Philadelphia 76ers guard for dismal outing against Heat
Fox Sports analyst Skip Bayless took a dig at James Harden's dismal second-half performance in Game 1 of the Philadelphia 76ers' Round Two series against the Miami Heat on Monday.
Harden scored only four points across the last two quarters as the Sixers lost the game 92-106, despite holding a one-point lead at halftime. Bayless took to Twitter after the game to criticize Harden. Here's what the TV analyst posted:
"Did James Harden hit South Beach at halftime of tonight's Game 1 in Miami? I couldn't find him in the second half."
James Harden contributed just 16 points overall while grabbing nine rebounds and dishing out four assists. The 76ers desperately needed the former MVP to be at his lethal best as a scorer as they were without the injured Joel Embiid.
Did James Harden hit South Beach at halftime of tonight's Game 1 in Miami? I couldn't find him in the second half.
Tobias Harris led the scoring charts for Philadelphia with 27 points, while sophomore guard Tyrese Maxey produced a 19-point outing. However, the Philadelphia 76ers struggled heavily offensively. They made only 34 field goals on the night, including just six 3-pointers to go along with 14 turnovers that led to them conceding 22 points.
James Harden needs to be more aggressive to help Philadelphia 76ers in Joel Embiid's absence
It has been outlined by several analysts and fans that James Harden is key to the Philadelphia 76ers' shot at winning the title this year. The former MVP has been on a decline over the last year, though, and it showed against the Miami Heat as well.
A former three-time scoring champion, Harden can still produce the goods as a scorer. But his approach hasn't been as aggressive since he was traded to the Brooklyn Nets last year. He has played alongside superstar-level players like Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving and now Joel Embiid, which has forced him to adapt to the role of a facilitator.
James Harden needs to find the right balance between being a primary option and a facilitator to be effective for the Philadelphia 76ers. So far, he has yet to attempt 20 or more shots in a game since making his move to Philadelphia, and that needs to change as soon as possible.
#76ers backcourt struggled to score from the field in Game 1! 👀
Maxey: 6-15 FG (40%)
Harden: 5-13 FG (38%)
With Embiid out, Tyrese Maxey and James Harden will have to up the scoring game.
Tobias Harris' 27 PTS weren't enough against the 'deep-lineup' #MiamiHeat. https://t.co/KegIGeDivI
The 76ers will need Harden to turn back the clock and produce a high-scoring outing in Game 2. If that happens, Philadelphia will have a healthy shot at snatching a road win against favorites Miami before heading back to Philadelphia.
Embiid might be available to play by then, giving Doc Rivers' side a stellar chance to win this series and make their first conference finals appearance since 2001.