Without Joel Embiid nobody expected the Sixers to be anyway near the Celtics in Game 1. They were 1-3 against Cs in the regular season with him in the line-up. However, James Harden forgot to read that memo and went off for the best individual performance by a 76er since Allen Iverson.
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It was looking like a sure win for the Celtics when they led by 12 with only 5 minutes remaining in the game. But thanks to The Beard and Jayson Tatum and Co’s turnovers, the Sixers made a comeback and won Game 1 119-115 and silenced TD Garden.
James Harden makes multiple records in a playoff game without Joel Embiid
What a time it was to show up for the 10x All-Star and shine when the team’s MVP frontrunner was out with an injury. And Harden didn’t fold but took it to the fullest with 45 points, 6 assists, 2 steals, and a rebound in under 40 minutes.
He did not just become the highest Playoffs scorer for the Sixers since Allen Iverson, he also beat his own playoff-high and passed Ray Allen for the most 3-pointers in Playoffs (4th) with his 7 threes in the game.
Thanks to the breakdown by Keerthika Utahayakumar of TSN Sports for getting our attention to it.
Oh, and how can we forget about just 4 free throw attempts by Harden in the game? That has him tied for the least FT attempt for a 40-point game in an NBA game. Insane.
