MINNEAPOLIS — James Harden was the best player on the court by a wide margin Saturday night, better than Joel Embiid, better than Tyrese Maxey, better than Giannis Antetokounmpo.
Harden was lethal.
The 33-year-old showed glimpses of the Harden of old, finishing with a game-high 38 points in the 76ers’ 133-130 victory over the Milwaukee Bucks at Fiserv Forum. Harden dished out 10 assists. He grabbed nine rebounds. He made all 11 of his free throws.
Then, on Monday, Harden struggled through a 3 of 11 shooting night while scoring 14 points against the Indiana Pacers. Yet the point guard was a major reason for the 147-143 victory at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Harden had 20 assists. He collected nine rebounds. He had just one turnover.
Harden is the reason to believe in the Sixers. While they added depth last month, it’s Harden’s play that will dictate how far the Sixers go in the postseason.
When he’s playing at an elite level, the Sixers are tough to beat. Harden and Embiid form an unstoppable pick-and-roll pairing, and the Sixers point guard’s presence creates open-court opportunities for Maxey.
Harden serving as the focal point of the Sixers’ success is nothing new, though. The team acquired him in a February 2022 blockbuster trade from the Brooklyn Nets to be their secondary scorer, closer and facilitator.
But he was a shell of himself last season as he battled a lingering hamstring issue and struggled to to figure out his role. Harden’s biggest problems came when he was unsure whether to facilitate or take over.
Well, he’s healthy now, knows when to be aggressive and has a comfort level with teammates.
“Knowing each other on and off the court,” Harden said. “I think off the court is just as valuable as learning somebody on the court. It helps actually. But just comfortable. When you are comfortable, it makes the game a lot easier.”
He knows where his teammates excel and puts them in great scoring opportunities.
His playmaking ability is a major reason the Sixers went 3-1 through the first four games of their grueling five-game road trip. The Sixers defeated the Minnesota Timberwolves, 117-94, Tuesday night at the Target Center in the final game of the trip. As part of their load-management program, the Sixers rested key players during certain parts of this trip. Harden missed Tuesday’s game with what the Sixers officially labeled left foot soreness.
A night off was well-deserved.
The 14th-year veteran averaged 25.2 points, 12.0 assists and 7.3 rebounds in the first four games. Harden shot 48.4% from beyond the three-point line and 93.9% from the foul line.
In 48 games played this season, Harden is averaging 21.9 points, a league-best 10.8 assists, 6.3 rebounds and 1.2 steals. He’s also shooting a career-best 40.1% from beyond the three-point line.
His play is the main reason the Sixers could be a dangerous team in the postseason.
At 43-22, they are third in the Eastern Conference. They’re 1½ games behind the second-place Boston Celtics, who are 45-21. They also have a 2-1 series advantage over the first-place Bucks (46-18).
“He knows where guys want to the ball,” Maxey said.
Harden also knows when to take over. And that has made the Sixers one of the league’s hottest teams.
