After his first home game in Philadelphia, James Harden said he is already feeling the love from the fans.
“The love, the fans, it feels like home. Just the love, the support, man, from looking around, ‘We love you, James,’” Harden said following Wednesday’s win over the Knicks. “That right there makes me go out there and play harder, and I just wanted to do whatever it takes to get the win.”
Harden shined in front of his new fans for the first time, totaling 26 points, nine rebounds and nine assists in a 123-108 victory. The win marked Philadelphia’s third straight victory, a stretch where Harden is averaging over 27 points, nine rebounds and 12 assists per game.
Joel Embiid shared Harden’s optimism, believing that Harden is a perfect match to play with the rest of the team.
“I mean, we all just fit together,” Embiid said via ESPN’s Tim Bontemps. “You've got someone in James that comes in with his experience and his playmaking ability, scoring ability, and you add up what he adds and he's been amazing, and what we have on the team. It all fits.”
Despite the win streak, Harden said the team expects to hit road blocks the rest of the season, and they have to be prepared for whatever comes their way.
“Every game is going to be a learning experience for us, and we've got to just find ways to continue to chip away, continue to get better, win or lose,” Harden said.
The Sixers schedule kicks up a notch in the coming weeks, as they play four current playoffs teams in their next four games, including a matchup with Brooklyn next week. Philadelphia currently holds the No. 3 seed in the Eastern Conference, just two games back of the Heats for the top seed.
