At 6:00 a.m. Beijing time on March 28, Phoenix hosted the Philadelphia 76ers. In the end, the Suns, led by Paul and Booker, won the game without any chance. Previously, the Suns have won 7 consecutive wins, firmly ranking first in the league, plus this game, the Suns have won 61 wins and 14 losses, is the only team to win 60+ this season.
The situation for the 76ers is a bit ominous, and by the end of the game they have fallen from the top of the Eastern Conference and are currently only fourth in the East, with the Fifth Place Chicago Bulls in the East having a three-win advantage.
It is worth mentioning that Embiid played 37 and a half points, 14 of 27 shots, 1 of 4 three-pointers, 1 of 12 free throws, and cut a game-high 37 points plus 15 boards, 3 assists, 3 breaks and 2 blocks. As another star of the 76ers who should be trusted and relied on, Harden is not outstanding in this game, playing 39 minutes, shooting 2 of 11, 2 of 5 three-pointers, 8 of 8 free throws, and has 14 points, 7 rebounds and 9 assists.
And, of the current top four teams in the East, only 76ers are the only ones who haven't beaten the Suns. According to the Suns' strong performance this season, they are likely to break through from the West, and if the 76ers still want to compete for the title this season, then they must have the strength to win against the Suns.
In this game, MVP candidates Embiid and Booker showed great competitiveness from the beginning of the game. The two began in a confrontational mode, and in the first half of the game, the 76ers even pulled the score to double digits twice.
However, the game is not only 24 minutes. The Suns, under the control of Booker and Paul, adjusted in time each time, especially after the start of the third quarter, when the Suns gradually took the initiative back. In the end, the Suns resisted Embiid's fierce regurgitation in the fourth quarter and won the game in one fell swoop.
After the game, Harden attended the game's press conference. When it comes to the loss of the game, Harden has a sluggish expression, thinking that the problem of this game is the team itself, which is an uphill battle, but the team's defensive end collapses, the offensive end has stagnated, and the spirit is relaxed.
When it comes to his struggle performance, Harden gave the reason: "There were some fouls that didn't sound the whistle, and some missed shots. I mean, 11 shots is obviously not enough for me, I have to throw more and play more aggressively. ”
Indeed, Harden only had 11 shots in this game, and only 2 shots. After joining the Nets, Harden played 14 games, averaging 13.8 shots per game, averaging 5.7 shots per game and shooting 41.5 percent from the field, which is obviously a big gap from his usual stats.
However, harden's mention of the free throw problem has caught him in the doubts of the fans.
On the one hand, a player of Harden's level must stand up at a critical moment, rather than moving the referee factor out to find a reason for himself. On the other hand, after the playoffs, free throws are not necessarily the most effective offensive weapon. Harden can't rely too much on fouls to help the team.
Otherwise, the famous commentator Yang Yi's view that "Harden was not as good as James before, and now he is not as good as Doncic" will be accepted by more fans.