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James Harden had a spectacular home debut for the Philadelphia 76ers on Wednesday night, led his new squad to a 123-108 drubbing of the New York Knicks.
Harden tallied a near triple-double of 26 points, nine rebounds, and nine assists and was showered with adulation by Sixers fans, who have been longing for a legitimate superstar alongside MVP candidate Joel Embiid. With the arrival of The Beard, Sixers coach Doc Rivers admitted their chances of competing for the NBA title have increased. But he also said they have to learn to tune out some of the hype, per the report of ESPN.
Article Continues Below“I do the same job, the same work. It's just that more people notice (now). I think when you get a guy like James and Joel together with what we have, with all of our other guys, our guys sense it, too. Not the hoopla, though. It's that they have a real shot. You don't get many of these.”
For years, the Sixers faithful pinned their hopes on the tandem of Embiid and Ben Simmons. While they made significant strides, the pair couldn't get over the hump. Things came to a hilt last season when Simmons' performance in the NBA Playoffs turned from bad to terrible.
Now, with the Sixers practically transforming Simmons into Harden, and the former MVP putting up huge numbers alongside Embiid's monster campaign, things are certainly looking up for the City of Brotherly Love.
The Sixers are now 38-23 and own the third spot in the Eastern Conference.
