Tim BontempsESPN
PHILADELPHIA – After a third consecutive sterling performance in a 76ers uniform – but first in front of fans here at the Wells Fargo Center – James Harden announced that Philadelphia feels at home.
“Just exciting,” Harden said after finishing 26 points, nine rebounds and nine assists in Philadelphia’s 123-108 victory over the New York Knicks in front of a large crowd here Wednesday night. “Love, fans, I feel at home. Only love, support, man, from looking around, hearing, “We love you, James.”
“It makes me go out and play harder and I just wanted to do whatever it took to win.”
So far in a 76er uniform, Harden is 3-for-3 in that regard, as Philadelphia – combined with Milwaukee’s last-second victory over Miami on Wednesday night – now sits two games behind Heath for first place in the East. Conference ranking.
The only thing anyone focused on here, however, was Harden, who finally came out on the court in uniform in front of his new fans for the first time since Philadelphia acquired him in Ben Simmons’ hit exchange with the Brooklyn Nets three weeks ago. Harden’s slow build-up of hamstring injuries in his last days in Brooklyn led him to miss the team’s last home game on Feb. 15 and saw him make his Minneapolis debut last Friday against the Timberwolves before playing again on Sunday. Square Garden vs. Knicks.
Both games, such as Wednesday’s rematch with New York, ended in Philadelphia’s victories. And although it is still extremely early in this grand experiment and far more difficult opponents are ahead, all involved are quite pleased with the early progress.
“I mean, we just fit together,” said Joel Embiid, who finished with 27 points, 12 rebounds, four assists, stolen and two blocks in 34 minutes. “You have someone in James who comes with his experience and ability to play, ability to score a goal and you add what he adds and he’s amazing and what we have on the team. Everything fits.”
Appropriate in part because of the continued appearance of second-year goalkeeper Tyree Maxi, who took it one step further after impressing as a full-back all season when Simmons was away from the team looking for a replacement.
Maxi’s 25-point performance on Wednesday was his third in a row with more than 20 points since Harden joined the squad. On Wednesday, 21 of Maxi’s points came after halftime when he said Harden had given him a wake-up call.
“Well, James came to me and asked me if I was going to play today,” Maxie said with a smile at their half-time conversation, “and I said, ‘Yes.’
“Having guys like James, [Embiid]Tobias [Harris], I’m just saying I have to be aggressive … I can’t stretch like I’m passive. I have to help these guys and we have to help these guys as a team as much as possible. “
“He has to be aggressive,” Harden said later. “I know it’s hard because Joel and I have the ball, but when he has the opportunity, he has to be aggressive.”
In the end, however, Philadelphia goes as far as the new superstar tandem of Harden and Embid can take them.
When the 76ers were introduced before the game, Eminem’s song “Lose Yourself” echoed through the speakers and bounced through the sold-out arena.
The song, dedicated to capturing the moment and not letting your only chance at greatness slip away, was appropriate when you look at 76ers in general. The acquisition of Harden was made with the championship in mind – both for Harden, who lacks a ring in his resume for the first vote in the Hall of Fame, and for 76ers, who have not won a championship for nearly 40 years and have not won t do the 2001 NBA Finals
Early Friday, when the Cleveland Cavaliers came here, the 76ers played nine of their next 10 playoff games before embarking on a five-game trip to end the month – a far more difficult period than the first three games they played. in the Harden era.
For now, however, the 76ers will take the win when they manage to get them, as they continue to try to build on what they hope will be a long playoff cycle this spring.
“Every game will be difficult for us,” said Harden. “We are new, we are relatively new, we are still learning from each other. Every game will be a learning experience for us and we just need to find ways to keep dropping out, keep getting better, win or lose. It’s obviously better when you win to understand it, but it will be a great test for us and we are really looking forward to it. “