After Joel Embiid received his 2023 NBA MVP award on Friday, the 76ers couldn’t cap the night off successfully as the Celtics defeated Philadelphia 114–102. While Embiid produced 30 points and 13 rebounds, James Harden struggled again with 16 points on 3-for-14 shooting from the field.
It was the second straight rough game for Harden, as he shot just 2-for-14 for 12 points in Game 2. The two poor outings coincided with Philadelphia’s first two losses of the playoffs. They came after Harden carried the team to a Game 1 victory with 45 points on Monday as Embiid sat out.
One specific play that seemed to show Harden’s loss of confidence on Friday came when he passed out of a potential layup late in the game.
