James Harden didn't actually break Patty Mills' ankles on this filthy step-back triple. After targeting the Aussie veteran in pick-and-roll action, the Philadelphia 76ers star clearly used a forearm shiver to get Mills off-balance and send him to the floor, then calmly sank a pull-up three as Joe Harris closed.

Down Joel Embiid with the opportunity to sweet the Brooklyn Nets, though, rest assured Philadelphia will take whatever it can get offensively in Game 4.

Twitter seemed split as to whether Harden dropped Mills with a forceful arm bar or sudden step-back. Either way, his highlight-reel play had the basketball world talking.

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Harden lacks the burst and explosiveness of his MVP heyday, one of the biggest reasons why he entered Game 4 just 7-of-20 from two-point range in the playoffs, overly reliant on pull-up triples. Can Harden rise to the challenge of being the Sixers' undisputed alpha dog in a close-out game on the road with Embiid sidelined?

Doing so could go a long way toward Philly advancing deep into the playoffs. With Embiid out due to a right knee sprain, the Sixers need as much time off as possible before a seemingly imminent second-round matchup with the Boston Celtics.

James Harden will need to be at his best for Philadelphia to dethrone the reigning Eastern Conference champions. Let's see if he can consistently tap into that peak to lead the Sixers to a sweep over the Nets on Saturday.