With James Harden’s game 4 performance, the Houston Rockets have proven that the trade for Ben Simmons was worth it. In a must-win situation against Golden State in Game 4, he led his team to victory without Chris Paul and with key contributions from Chris Collinsworth, Carmelo Anthony and Sam Dekker as well as bench players like Eric Gordon and Pascual Harris. Some might argue that this is more of a sign of how much they miss CP3 than anything else but regardless it was an incredibly impressive effort by everyone involved.,
The “what did the 76ers offer for james harden” is a question that has been on many minds. James Harden’s heroic game 4 performance and emphatic win against the Boston Celtics proved to be worth it.
Over the last few weeks, it’s become increasingly clear that the blockbuster trade deadline deal between the Philadelphia 76ers and the Brooklyn Nets was a lose-lose situation for both sides, as James Harden continued to look nothing like his old self and Ben Simmons watched from the bench as his new team was swept out of the playoffs in the first round.
It might still happen, but only one of those teams has a shot to reach the NBA Finals this season. They have a chance because to Harden’s remarkable effort in Game 4 against the Miami Heat, which helped the Sixers square the series at 2-2. Harden scored 31 points and made six three-pointers in the game, proving that the deal was well worth it regardless of how the 76ers’ season ends.
James Harden does what Ben Simmons could not with the 76ers.
Heat Check to Harden
16 points in the fourth quarter 5-9 from the field, 4-6 from the three
James scored 31 points in his debut playoff game with the Sixers.
6 THREES, most as a Sixer & most in playoff game in 2 years
James accounted for 54 points đź’Ą pic.twitter.com/YFamttrGo2
— John Clark (@JClarkNBCS) May 9, 2022
The Heat went into Game 4 against the 76ers knowing that a victory would effectively lock them into the Eastern Conference Finals. The game strategy was simple: take the ball away from Joel Embiid and force Harden to beat them.
Over the previous two months, that plan has worked perfectly against the Sixers. Harden hadn’t scored more than 22 points in a game since March, and it’s been evident all season that Father Time has been his biggest opponent.
As a result, in Game 4, Miami double-teamed Embiid every time he touched the ball. Even though he scored 24 points, he only made 13 field-goal attempts. That’s way too few in a must-win playoff game for someone who averaged almost 20 attempts per game this season.
Harden was finally given the opportunity to prove why he was brought to Philly in the first place, and he delivered when the 76ers needed him most. In the fourth quarter, the Beard scored 16 points on 5-of-9 shooting to extend the advantage and propel the Sixers to a much-needed victory.
Harden had 31 points, nine assists, and seven rebounds in the game. He also matched his season best with six three-pointers. Do you know how many three-pointers Simmons has made since his 2016 draft?
Five.
Throughout his whole career.
Five!
Harden surpassed that total in a single playoff game, and he did it in a manner Simmons never could throughout his tenure with the 2-1-5. Simmons only tried three shots in the fourth quarter of last year’s playoff series against the Atlanta Hawks, which lasted seven games. That isn’t a mistake in any way.
When the stakes were highest, Simmons bowed out spectacularly. Last year, he refused to touch the ball in the fourth quarter of playoff games. Harden, on the other hand, relishes such opportunities. It didn’t pay off until Game 4 against the Heat, but Sixers fans know he’ll never turn down an open dunk with the season on the line.
This is the Harden Philadelphia acquired in February, and although he isn’t the same player he once was, he is a much better player than Simmons was for the 76ers.
Job not completed
During Game 4 against the Miami Heat, James Harden of the Philadelphia 76ers reacts | Mitchell Leff/Getty Images
Even this Harden is an improvement than Simmons, but he wasn’t brought in for an one outstanding postseason performance. He was recruited here to win a championship for the people of Philadelphia, and with more performances like the one we witnessed Sunday night, he’ll be able to do just that.
Embiid will continue to attract double- and triple-teams, leaving Harden to finish out games late when the MVP contender isn’t available. The veteran lefty showed he still has it in him, but it has to happen more often.
The battle for the Larry O’Brien Trophy is heating up, and Sixers supporters should be happy that Harden is taking the lead at point guard instead of Simmons, who is afraid to shoot.
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After a clutch Game 4 win, Charles Barkley challenges James Harden and other 76ers stars.
James Harden’s heroic game 4 performance has been a topic of conversation all week. In the game, he scored 51 points with 10 assists and 7 rebounds. His performance was so impressive that it has convinced many people that the trade for Ben Simmons was worth it. Reference: what team is james harden on.
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