On May 3, Beijing time, the Philadelphia 76ers challenged the Miami Heat away, and the two sides ushered in the first game of the second round of the series. In this game, the 76ers interior gateKeeper Embiid was absent due to injury, and all the team's hopes were on Harden alone. The Heat, on the other hand, are veteran Lowry injured, and both teams are eager to buy them some time to recuperate in the absence of their teammates.
As a result, both teams were desperate to get the start in the opening game. After 48 minutes of fierce fighting, the 76ers lost to the Heat 92-106 on the road and temporarily trailed 0-1.
Previously, because of Embiid's injury, the 76ers were generally looked down upon. And that puts a lot of pressure on James Harden. Because this means that Harden's ability to lead the team has been denied. So, for Harden, it's a great opportunity to prove himself.
However, Harden's performance in this game was not satisfactory, he played 34 minutes and 35 seconds, 16 points, 9 rebounds, 5 assists and 5 turnovers on 5-of-13 shooting, including 1 of 4 shots in the second half, scoring only 4 points.
After the game, Harden was interviewed by the media. Asked how he felt about his performance throughout the game, Harden replied: "We had some good shooting opportunities today, but we just couldn't shoot. I felt like I should have played more aggressively. ”
It is worth mentioning that the Heat player who is the main defense of Harden in this game is Harden's teammate PJ Tucker in the Rockets. Tucker did not stay in Milwaukee after joining the Bucks last season due to contract problems. Instead, he chose to join the Heat, re-attacking the championship with Butler, Adebayor and Lowry.
Tucker's performance in this game made Harden feel a headache. Tucker played 28 minutes, shooting 4-of-9 and 2-of-4 from three-point range, with 10 points, 7 rebounds and 1 assist, including five frontcourt boards. Facing his old teammate Harden, Tucker obviously knows very well, and has repeatedly restricted Harden on the defensive end, making Harden play very uncomfortable.
In particular, in preventing Harden from making fouls, Tucker only gave Harden four free throws. Harden himself said tucker's defense was very successful, "Tucker is Tucker, he plays tough." ”
The famous commentator Skip would not describe Harden's performance so lightly. He was very unhappy with Harden's performance in the second half, directly bombarding Harden on his personal social media, "Did Harden go to the beaches of Miami's south coast at halftime today?" I couldn't find him in the second half. ”
Interestingly, Miami's South Beach area is known for its lively nightlife and famous restaurants. SKIP at this time is obviously mocking Harden for indulging in Miami nightclubs and not being able to get tough in the game!
And the 76ers star Barkley also expressed disappointment with Harden, "You have to shoot more than 4 times. Embiid is not there, you have to shoot 25 times. I didn't think they could win, but the difference in the first half was only 1 point. Harden should have remained super aggressive. ”
'I was disappointed because they were still biting the score in the first half.