The Philadelphia 76ers and James Harden knew that the odds were stacked against them heading into Game 1 of their Eastern Conference Semifinal series against the Boston Celtics. They would be playing without NBA superstar Joel Embiid and were huge underdogs heading into the matchup.
But, as we have seen throughout the NBA Playoffs thus far this season, nothing is a guarantee. While many people thought that the Cetlics would roll right through the short-handed 76ers, Harden had other plans.
In what was arguably the most impressive performance of the postseason, Harden led Philadelphia to an upset victory. The 76ers won 119-115 with Harden putting on a vintage MVP performance.
He scored 45 points on an efficient 17-of-30 from the field, knocking down 7-of-14 3-point attempts and all four of his foul shots. Harden also handed out six assists as Boston had no answer for him. After the game, he shared how good he had felt and the zone he got into was one he hasn’t been in in a long time.
“I haven’t felt one of those zones in a minute. It felt really good. Just to be aggressive, shoot the basketball & do what I want. That felt really good & I’m capable of doing it.”
Someone had to step up without Embiid in the lineup and Harden answered the call. Given how productive Embiid is on the court, there was a massive void to be filled but the 76ers found a way to get the job done.
While Harden is receiving the most headlines, he was far from the only player who stepped up. Tyrese Maxey also picked up some of the scoring load, pouring in 26, 19 of which came in the second half.
Paul Reed was excellent once again starting in place of Embiid, scoring 10 points with 13 rebounds in 37 minutes. He iced the game late with four free throws none of which even touched the rim.
Philadelphia was extremely efficient on offense with a team shooting split of .506/.447/1.000 and turned the ball over only six times. That was the difference in the game as Boston had 16 turnovers, which was ultimately part of their undoing.
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