James Harden nearly delivers a triple-double in his debut with the Sixers. Bruce Kluckhohn-USA TODAY Sports

In debut with Sixers, James Harden leads Philly to blowout victory

By Jordan Wolf | Last updated 2/25/22

The James Harden Era began Friday for the 76ers, and it began with a bang.

Harden posted 27 points, eight rebounds and 12 assists as Philadelphia cruised to a 133-102 win over Minnesota in his first game with the Sixers.

After being acquired from the Nets at the trade deadline in a deal that sent Ben Simmons and more to Brooklyn, Harden had been out through All-Star weekend as he continued to nurse a hamstring injury. He was ready to go after the break, however, and showed no signs of rust as the 76ers controlled the game from start to finish.

For the first few minutes, Harden was a bit passive, but he drove to the lane with just under nine minutes left in the first quarter to score his first bucket. He dribbled in, split the defense and drew the foul, converting the and-one as we've seen him do so many times in his prolific NBA career to this point.

James Harden drives to the basket for his first bucket with the Sixers!

(: @NBA) pic.twitter.com/DcBNGIA7q2
— theScore (@theScore) February 26, 2022

Philadelphia ended the first quarter with a 34-25 lead, and would not look back the rest of the way. The Sixers led by as many as 35 at one point while Minnesota held only a five-point advantage in the opening minutes when it led 6-1.

Harden got it done in a variety of ways for the 76ers, shooting 7-for-12 from the field including 5-for-7 from beyond the arc while connecting on eight of his nine free throw attempts. He also spread the rock around, and his 12 dimes were a game high.

If there was any doubt that Harden would mesh well with Philadelphia's veteran star Joel Embiid, they can now be put to rest as the duo combined for 61 points. Embiid himself logged 34 points and hauled in 10 rebounds, and Tyrese Maxey -- who general manager Daryl Morey refused to include in negotiations for Harden -- added 28 points and four steals of his own.

With the win, the 76ers advanced to 36-23 on the season. They sit alone in third in the Eastern Conference, just a few games back of the Bulls and Heat who are tied for first.

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