"The worst game James Harden has had in at least 4 years" - Nick Wright believes The Beard’s performance vs the Nets was the worst case scenario for the 76ers
Stakes were high as James Harden faced off against his former teammates Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving on Thursday night. The duo of Durant and Irving had sizeable contributions, combining for 47 points in the Brooklyn Nets at Philadelphia 76ers game, but Harden failed to show up.
The Philadelphia 76ers had momentum behind them going into the game, with James Harden’s arrival sparking an offensive outburst within the system. But the Brooklyn Nets stepped it up and put the Sixers away 129-100 in a blowout victory.
"Nets-76ers was a playoff atmosphere. Unfortunately, it looked like a playoff game — bc we've seen this from Harden before. This was worst case scenario for Philly. Harden made zero 2-pt baskets. ... That game felt like a trend, not a fluke, & that's the concern." —@getnickwright https://t.co/4g8HQAMQv7
Nick Wright on Fox Sports’ “First Things First” brought to light James Harden’s history of not showing up in big games by saying:
“It was a playoff atmosphere, and unfortunately it looked like a playoff game. Cause we’ve seen this from James [Harden] before and this is the tough part of it. This was, in my opinion, the worst-case scenario for Philly.”
James Harden started poorly, missing five of his six attempts in the first quarter, and the trend continued throughout the game. He finished the game with three buckets from beyond the arc and missed ten two-point attempts, contributing only 11 points to the team's total.
James Harden tonight:
11 PTS
3-17 FG
5 AST
4 TOV
-30 +/-
Played like it was a playoff game. https://t.co/4h3JT3F1w3
Harden had a similar performance before he was traded, which was his last game wearing the Brooklyn Nets colors. Against the Sacramento Kings, he converted only two out of his eleven field goal attempts – scoring only four points in 37 minutes.
Nick Wright then went on to give his take on Harden’s performance, by saying:
“If you remove the Kings game, where we all say he was basically, you know just trying to play his way out of Brooklyn – this was by game score, according to Basketball Reference, the worst game James Harden has had in at least four years.”
Should James Harden’s poor showing be a sign of concern for the 76ers?
The Philadelphia 76ers brought Harden on board, teaming him up with Joel Embiid to improve the franchise’s chances in the playoffs. Embiid has had an exceptional season, even before the trade, putting himself in MVP discussions. But with the playoffs being a whole different atmosphere and a seven-game series, consistency becomes crucial.
James Harden passes Reggie Miller for No. 3 on the all-time 3PT list 🔥 https://t.co/TkvkApGgNh
Nick Wright believes the Sixers are still a tough opponent, but have a few problems to fix:
“However, Philly obviously showed you, in the days leading up to this, how dangerous they could be. And last night they showed you how dangerous they could be, to themselves. So, it’s a problem, there’s no way around it. But, a game like last night, doesn’t seem like a fluke. It feels like a trend, and that’s the concern.”
Barring the Nets match-up, James Harden has been efficient – averaging 24.6 points, 7.6 rebounds and 12.4 assists over five games for Philly. Although the players around him have become more efficient since his arrival, Harden will have to find his own rhythm and be able to dominate.