James Harden and the Philadelphia 76ers are flying high after stealing Game 1 against the Boston Celtics. Joel Embiid sat out and the Sixers were able to hold off a red-hot shooting night from the Celtics to take the win thanks to James Harden's unbelievable performance.

Harden tied his playoff career-high with 45 points on 17-30 shooting, carrying the Sixers offense and helping them overcome a putrid defensive display to beat the Celtics, who were led by Jayson Tatum's 39 points. Harden was in the zone all game long and discussed it after the game, saying it's been some time since he felt that good.

“I haven’t felt one of those zones in a minute,” Harden said in the postgame press conference. “It felt really good. Just to be aggressive and shoot the basketball and do what I want. That felt really good. I’m capable of doing it. It felt good.”

Harden found a ton of success going at Al Horford in the pick-and-roll, taking the mid-range shots he had open and getting downhill when those opportunities arose. He shot 7-14 from beyond the arc, dished six assists and added two steals to his final stat line. After a not-so-great first round, he took it right to the Celtics without his co-star and iced the game with a cold-blooded dagger.

When it came time for the Sixers to go for the win with under a minute left, Doc Rivers decided not to call a timeout and subbed in his offensive unit in between Tatum's free throws. The Celtics were unable to adjust their defense fully, allowing Harden to invite Horford to one last dance on the perimeter and bury a triple to put Philly ahead.

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James Harden isn't ready to exit the zone he and the Sixers are in right now. He is making sure his teammates stay locked in heading into Wednesday's Game 2. “We didn't come into this game expecting to lose. We are here to win,” he said. “And even after this game, I told guys don't get too happy. We're even-keeled. We're coming here to get Game 2 as well. That's the mindset we have as a unit. Whether Jo comes back or not, we'll be ready to go.”