On April 1, the NBA regular season ended a focus battle, the Philadelphia 76ers were defeated by the Pistons, bursting out of the cold, and the 76ers ate three consecutive losses. In this game, Harden played 38 minutes, shooting 4 of 15, including 2 of 9 three-pointers, 8 of 9 free throws, cut 18 points, 9 rebounds, 7 assists and 2 steals, overall Harden's performance was not good, 3 points in the first quarter, 0 points in the third quarter, and also need to improve stability.
Early in the first quarter, Harden didn't have many opportunities to shoot, until the middle of the section, Harden hit a three-pointer with the help of blocking. Harden hit the ground to pass and assisted Sable's layup. Harden didn't score much in the first quarter, but more through passing to organize the team's offense, and the 76ers led the Pistons by five points.
In the second quarter, Harden fouled a three-pointer, and he was steady in all three of the three free throws. Facing Hayes' defense, Harden broke through and made a layup to make a 2+1. Harden misplaced Olynyk, making one of two free throws after inflicting a kill. Facing Frank Jackson's flying swoop, Harden played 3+1 quite strongly. Harden returned after a short break, but unfortunately his cross-pressure whistle missed. Harden ushered in the outbreak in the second quarter, scoring 11 points in the single quarter, and Harden in the first half cut down 14 points, 3 boards and 3 assists.
In the third quarter, Harden missed three-point shots in a row, the Pistons frantically counterattacked, Harden instigated the attack, and Harris scored a layup to stabilize the situation. Harden passed the ball and Embiid scored on a jumper. Harden also assisted Maxi in the bottom corner on a 24-second whistle-breaking three-pointer. Harden's performance in this quarter was relatively average, with 0 points in a single quarter, but fortunately teammate Embiid broke out and entered the final quarter, the 76ers led by 6 points.
In the fourth quarter, Harden assisted Harris on a layup. Harden blocked the bottom line to break through, but unfortunately he did not shoot. Pistons player Ki grabbed the rebound and sent it to Harden's hands, and Harden went with the trend. Harden's breakthrough caused Hayes to foul, and he hit both free throws. The Pistons blasted a wave of strong counter-attacks while widening the advantage to double digits, after which the 76ers were powerless to return to the sky, Harden did not perform well, and lost the game.
It can be seen that Harden's state today is not stable enough, when the second quarter broke out, he did not have a good continuation in the third quarter, repeated three-point shots, and returned after the break, the sense of presence is still low. Including when the 76ers were hit by the opponent in the last quarter and needed someone to stand up and score, Harden did not respond, which is regrettable.
Of course, Harden's strength and morale are still unquestionable, and he is the top of the league, but then he needs to continue the stability of his good state, which is very important. After all, the Philadelphia 76ers are hoping that the duo of Harden and Embiid can exert their power in the playoffs and impact the championship.