“Should shave his beard to hide identity” – Stephen A. Smith blasts James Harden for ‘AWFUL’ 9-point performance against Celtics

James Harden scored only 9 points while shooting 4.0% in Game 7.


“Should shave his beard to hide identity” – Stephen A. Smith blasts James Harden for ‘AWFUL’ 9-point performance against Celtics

Stephen A. Smith (Image via USA TODAY Sports) and James Harden (Image via Getty Images)

Game 7 of the Western Conference Semi-Finals was a major disappointment for the Philadelphia 76ers. Playing the Boston Celtics, the 76ers were looking to pick up a win and advance to the Conference Semi-Finals. However, they met a highly spirited Jayson Tatum, who exploded for a whopping 51 points. Tatum stole the show in Boston as the visitors had no chance of coming back into the game. However, as impressive as Tatum was, James Harden was equally disappointing.

Harden struggled beyond fans’ comprehension as the veteran guard scored only nine points in 40 minutes. He shot 3-11 from the field and 1-5 from the three-point line. Needless to say, Harden failed to step up on the big occasion shooting an abysmal four percent in total. There’s no surprise that following his disappointing performance, fans and critics are very loud with their criticisms of Harden. As usual, NBA analyst Stephen A. Smith did not hold back while expressing his views.

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Stephen A. Smith spoke on ESPN SportsCentre as he took off about the 76ers guard.“James Harden was so awful, so bad, he should actually shave his beard so he can hide his identity. That’s how bad he was. It was really, really bad. I say that in all seriousness. I’m not joking.” He then started talking about how Harden might face a tough time in the city of Philadelphia. I’ve worked in Philadelphia for 17 years. It was that bad I’m telling you right now, it will be difficult for him to walk the streets. You don’t do what you saw him do on Sunday afternoon in a Game 7.”

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There is no doubt that the entire Philadelphia fanbase is disappointed with the Game 7 result. Not only Harden but the entire roster also failed to put up a fight. Joel Embiid scored just 15 points as the 76ers suffered a 24-point loss. The score at the end of regulation was 88-112.

Related: “Doing Philly a favor” – James Harden leaving for Rockets in summer SHOULD DELIGHT 76ers, claims Kendrick Perkins

Is James Harden going back to Houston?

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James Harden for the Houston Rockets (Image via Christian Petersen/Getty Images)

James Harden had his glory years with the Houston Rockets. However, in January 2021, the guard requested a trade out of Houston after the team struggled to win championships. He was then sent to the Brooklyn Nets, after which he landed in the Philadelphia 76ers. However, there have been rumors about his potential return to the Rockets.

Stephen A. Smith also spoke about his views on the idea of Harden going to Houston. “Slim to none. Listen. They ain’t giving him no max deal. They ain’t giving him no major long term deal. If he went there it would be for two years at best. I can assure you. This performance right here, turned a whole bunch of people off about James Harden,” he said.

Whether or not Harden goes to Houston still remains speculated, as no party has announced or hinted at anything yet. However, as of now, the guard will head into the off-season and look to work on his game further. The Boston Celtics, on the other hand, will face the Miami Heat for the Eastern Conference Finals.

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