Are The Lights Too Bright?
James Harden has been one of the premier superstars in the NBA for near a decade. With his ability to score and play-make, he has proven to be one of the greatest shooting guards of all time. The question that fan seems to dwell on the most about Harden’s game is his ability to show up in big games.
Harden is known for his amazing performances in the regular season but always receives critics when there seems to be a lot on the line. Critics feel like he does not perform in clutch moments as he does While James was the face of Houston, he was never able to get his team over the hump to get the finals and win them a ring and his numbers would consistently show a drop from the regular season to the postseason. So, it shows evident to critics that when there is nothing on the line Harden excels but when the stakes are high, he tends to vanish.
The 76ers and Nets game would show to provide the critics more fuel to push this narrative. This game was easily the most anticipated game of the season. Rooting from a drama-filled season between Ben Simmions and the 76ers and Harden and Nets, basketball fans had awaited this matchup as the fans would speculate who won the trade. Basketball fans would not disappoint. NBA on TNT reporter Stephanie Ready reported that she was informed by the 76ers that the tickets for this 76ers game were the “most in-demand” for any game including playoffs in the last decade. Turner Sports would report the game averaged 2.5 million viewers which were the most since opening night in 2019. While the Wells Fargo Center would sell out with 21,408 fans in attendance.
The demand for tickets would influence the cost and the increase in security for the game. The worst ticket in the arena would be sold at $272 while closer seats would go as high as $5,442. These numbers speak volumes about how important this game was to the basketball world. These two teams would have the spotlight on them for the world to see, but once again the lights would seem to be too bright for James Harden.
Since the trade Harden’s 6 games as a 76er, he has been nothing less of great. Arriving in Philadelphia he has looked like the James Harden fans know and love but the biggest game he has had yet as 76er he would vanish.
After seeing James Harden’s first 5 games as a 76er fans believed Harden would perform well against his former team. Everyone wanted to find out who actually won the trade. But in a game intense from the tip James Harden would show to be unreliable once again in a big game. James would end the with 11 points shooting %17.6FG and 4TOs.
This would not be the first time James has played badly against his former team. Harden after this game would be ranked No. 3 & No. 4 for worst FG pct in a player’s first game against a former team.
Harden would also not score the entire second half. This was by far James Harden’s worst game as a 76er. Was it just ironic that he had a bad game against his former team or were the lights too bright?