When the final seconds ticked away at the Wells Fargo Center in the 76ers’ 99-90 loss to the Heat on Thursday night, it brought a familiar sight to James Harden.
Philadelphia’s season hung in the balance. Needing a win to keep his championship hopes alive, Harden failed to cast himself as the 10-time All-Star many thought he would be in the biggest. time of the season.
The 32-year-old finished with 11 points in the game, attempting just two shots in the second half. The last field goal he converted came with 3:31 left in the second quarter.
After the game, when Harden was asked why he played such a small part of the offense in the second half, his answer was pretty straightforward.
“We led our attack, and the ball didn’t come back to me,” Harden said.
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Harden’s struggles throughout this year’s playoffs have once again been put under the microscope. Daryl Morey, the 76ers team president, spent months orchestrating a trade to send Ben Simmons to the Nets to acquire Harden and compete for an NBA title.
However, other than his 30-point performance in Game 4, Harden didn’t deliver in the clutch. Despite a lackluster performance, 76ers head coach Doc Rivers said the season and Harden’s performance weren’t the only reason the team was knocked out in the second round. “We win and lose as a team,” Rivers said in the post-game press conference.
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