Philadelphia 76ers: James Harden proved he can still go

James Harden was clearly listening.

He’s been called too old, too slow, and no longer a player worthy of max contract consideration.

While some have appreciated the greatness of Harden, what he brings to the table, and how instrumental his facilitating has been to the Philadelphia 76ers‘ offense, others will look at his stat line, look at his stat line from 2018, and declare the 10-time All-Star cooked because he takes and makes a few less shots per game.

Are some of those complaints warranted? Sure, Harden has been too passive at times and maybe hasn’t been all effort all the time, but in Game 4, “The Beard” put on a show for the ages and proved that when the chips are down, and his team needs him most, the Philadelphia 76ers can still count on Daryl Morey’s favorite player.

James Harden put on a clinic in the Philadelphia 76ers’ Game 4 win.

There’s something magical about a successful stepback James Harden 3. Despite everyone in the arena, including his defender, knowing what’s coming when “The Beard” hunches over and dribbles the ball from side to side, when he shoots back behind the line and lets that 3 ball fly, the crowd reaction is second to none.

Now granted, when the shot doesn’t fall, the breaths held in by the arena are let out with a sigh instead of a scream but goodness, when it hits, it’s something special and a real momentum-turner.

Fortunately, the Philadelphia 76ers were the beneficiaries of a 6-10 night by Harden from beyond the arc, and when that happens, and his points total begins with a 3 instead of a 1, securing the W becomes a whole lot easier to say the least.

On a night where Tyrese Maxey, Tobias Harris, and Danny Green combined for 42 points on 26 shots, and a still injured Joel Embiid was double or even triple-teamed at every turn, Harden took it upon himself to pick up the scoring duties in the second quarter and was able to put up 31 points over the final 36 minutes of regulation, including 16 in the fourth quarter. The ball came out of his hands quick, he made smart decisions, and his nine assists led all players regardless of team by a margin of two.

If Harden can replicate his Game 4 performance over Games 5, 6, and 7, if need be, it’ll be hard for Miami to make it out of the second round, especially if Kyle Lowry’s game continues to be limited by a hamstring injury. And if not? Well, considering how many different options the Sixers have who are capable of scoring 20-plus on any given night, Harden should still be an impactful floor general thanks to his vision, decisiveness, and pension for perfectly placed passes.

That, my friends, is why Daryl Morey and company should lock up Harden for the rest of his career: He’s much more than just a scorer.

Friends, we have ourselves a series. With everything tied up at 2-2, the Philadelphia 76ers just need to win two of the next three games, and they’ll have their tickets punched to the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time since 2001. Will it happen? Only time will tell, but after things were feeling dire at the end of Games 1 and 2, there still might be light at the end of the tunnel.