“The better he plays, the farther they go!” Shaquille O’Neal believes the form of James Harden is key for the Sixers’ run in these playoffs
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James Harden
Philadelphia 76ers make it into the Eastern Conference semi-finals, behind big scoring night from their two marquee players- Joel Embiid and James Harden. Former NBA Champ turned analyst, Shaquille O’Neal believes that the form of James Harden will be crucial for the Philadelphia 76ers to go further in the postseason.
Philadelphia 76ers finally lived up to the hype created in the opening 3 games of the first-round of 2022 playoffs. They averaged 116 points per game in those matchups. But in the next 2 games, their scoring flow deteriorated as they were restricted to around 95 points per game, resulting in the brutal losses. Though Joel Embiid was trying hard to get them over the line, poor shooting from other stars cost them some game. But in Game 3, it was James Harden and Tyrese Maxey stepping up with Joel Embiid en route to the conference Semis.
As per Shaq, though Joel Embiid is delivering big in the games, James Harden’s performance will define the outcomes of the future matchups. He emphasizes on role Harden would play in shaping up the postseason for the 76ers.
Is James Harden the 76ers’ key to unlocking the championship dreams?
James Harden played just 21 regular-season games with the 76ers wherein he averaged a some-what impressive 21 points, 7 rebounds, and 11 assists for the new team. Though 32-yea- old guard has experienced some trouble in his shooting accuracy, he did make a significant impact after the trade.
In 6-game series against the Toronto Raptors, he averaged 19 points, 10 assists, and 5 rebounds. While in the close-out game, he added 22 points with astonishing 15 assists, fueling the team’s offense. 4-time NBA Champion, Shaquille O’Neal said, “James played ok (up till now), today he played up to the par. Joe is Joe, MVP candidate, but you know James Harden is still the key you know. The better he plays, the farther they go.”
Joel Embiid made humongous efforts to take into the playoff season, but the addition of James Harden gave peripheral title contenders an obvious shot to the NBA Finals. Playing 7-game series against top opponents is never easy for a lone superstar like Joel Embiid, but adding an experienced, efficient guard like James Harden certainly eases pressure.
Moreover, Tobias Harris and Tyrese Maxey had some great games in the regular season, but playoff encounters are different. As postseason games move forward, the opposing teams get tougher and tougher. It clearly requires the experienced, consistent, and elite shooter to provide a double attack alongside Joel Embiid.
Eastern Conference leader Miami Heat will be one of the toughest tests for the Philadelphia-based team. With the Heat team checking on injuries to their players, Philadelphia cannot miss any chance to sneak wins in order to advance to the conference finals.
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Kunal Chawda
(600 Articles Published)