James Harden Gives Embiid-less Sixers an Unexpected Win

The final time James Harden scored 45 factors in a playoff recreation, it was 2015. His Houston Rockets, down three video games to none within the Western Conference finals, have been profitable a house recreation for pleasure towards the quickly to be champion Golden State Warriors.

On Monday evening, Harden matched that profession playoff excessive in a way more important recreation.

With the Philadelphia 76ers’ star and N.B.A. scoring champion, Joel Embiid, out with a knee sprain, Harden scored 45 once more, and gave the Sixers an surprising one-game-to-none lead over the top-seeded Celtics, 119-115, in Boston Garden.

Points 43, 44 and 45 have been the largest, approaching a cold 3-pointer whereas carefully guarded by Al Horford to present the 76ers a 117-115 lead with simply over 8 seconds left. On the following play, Marcus Smart of the Celtics threw the ball away in site visitors underneath the basket, and two free throws wrapped it up for Philadelphia.

“I was wondering if they were going to put two on the ball,” Harden mentioned of the opportunity of a double-team on the go-ahead shot. “It was a one on one. So then I’m looking up, I’m just, all right, this is what I work on every day. Get the best available shot no matter what it is. Raise up and shoot it.”

Harden made 17 baskets on 30 photographs, each season highs. He made seven 3-pointers on 14 photographs, additionally each season highs. He additionally had a team-high six assists.

From the primary possession, Harden, 33, took it upon himself to get Philadelphia factors, hitting a 10-foot jumper.

“Whatever they gave me, I rose up and took a shot,” Harden mentioned after the sport. “Whether it’s a 3, whether it’s a floater, whether it’s a midrange jumper.”

Asked why there was no double staff on the final shot, Celtics Coach Joe Mazzulla mentioned: “That was one of our best defenders. He made a big shot.”

Paul Reed had 13 rebounds filling in at heart for Embiid. He had a profession excessive 15 in Game 4 of the Sixers’ first-round sweep of the Nets, a recreation that Embiid additionally missed.

Going into Monday evening’s recreation, the Celtics have been favored not simply within the sequence however to win the N.B.A. title. They have been 9.5-point favorites to win Game 1 at house within the absence of Embiid.

Disquietingly for the remainder of the sequence, the Celtics truly performed fairly properly on Monday, hitting 58.7 p.c of their photographs and outrebounding the 76ers by 10. But they by no means appeared to have the ability to cease Harden.

“We have opportunities to bounce back,” a terse Mazzulla mentioned.

After three scoring titles and a Most Valuable Player Award with the Houston Rockets, Harden had constructed a powerful legacy. But it was tarnished considerably with an abortive and injury-plagued two seasons with the Nets. When he was traded to the 76ers in early 2022, a lot of the focus was on the Sixers lastly eliminating Ben Simmons slightly on their acquisition of Harden.

Harden has slot in properly as Embiid’s lieutenant in Philadelphia. Harden led the league in assists per recreation this previous season with 10.7 and averaged 21 factors.

Embiid shot however didn’t run on Monday at apply. Coach Doc Rivers mentioned he didn’t know if Embiid would play in Game 2 on Wednesday.

For one recreation at the very least, thanks principally to Harden, they didn’t want him.