James Harden shines in Philly home debut

James Harden noticed the faux beards dangling from chins, outsized cutouts of his head waving above outstretched arms and heard 76ers followers shouting from the stands that they liked him.

Harden knew from his first step on the court docket that his practically 14-month, three-team journey — that he largely orchestrated — introduced him precisely the place he needed to play.

“I simply needed to come back on the market and present my love again,” Harden stated.

Very like the fuzzy beard that defines his picture, Harden has grown on the 76ers.

Harden had a packed home in a frenzy from the second he was launched as “making his Philadelphia dwelling debut,” then flashed his MVP type with 26 factors, 9 assists and 9 rebounds to steer the 76ers to a 123-108 win over the New York Knicks on Wednesday night time.

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Philadelphia 76ers’ James Harden reacts after a basket through the first half of an NBA basketball recreation in opposition to the New York Knicks, Wednesday, March 2, 2022, in Philadelphia.
(AP Photograph/Matt Slocum)

Joel Embiid had 27 factors and 12 rebounds. Tyrese Maxey scored 25 factors.

“All of us simply match collectively,” Embiid stated.

However the night time belonged to the Beard.

The Sixers moved to 3-0 with Harden within the lineup and his dynamic duo hookup with Embiid has out of the blue stamped the Sixers as authentic contenders within the Jap Convention.

“I really feel like you possibly can put me wherever within the room and I can slot in,” Harden stated. “Right here isn’t any totally different. Simply see what you have got and take a look at your finest to slot in. Be the very best James Harden I will be in each side.”

Harden wanted time to heat as much as the brand new digs. His first factors got here with 5:32 left within the first quarter on, naturally, an and-1 conversion. He adopted that with, yup, his step-back 3 to offer him 5 quick factors.

There was far more to showcase.

He scored 13 factors within the second quarter and had followers capturing video on their telephones.

Philly’s hype for the brand new arrival rivaled the anticipated first video games over the past 25 years of Terrell Owens (Eagles) and Bryce Harper (Phillies). The Wells Fargo Heart was jammed with 21,333 followers and tickets for a high seat — not far off from rapper Meek Mill’s courtside view — have been offered for 1000’s on the secondary market.

Even director M. Evening Shyamalan attended for the town’s greatest taking place on the sports activities scene.

“It felt like a playoff ambiance,” Embiid stated. “I’ve given loads of credit score to Philly followers through the years they usually’ve all the time come by way of, win or lose.”

The masks got here off — and the beards went on. With Philadelphia dropping the indoor masks mandate, Sixers followers had faces clear to purchase the $5 faux beards in workforce merchandise shops. The Sixers seemingly might have paid Harden’s wage on the quantity of his gear offered alone earlier than tipoff. Followers packed the shops and stands and picked up the brand new No. 1 jerseys, socks and T-shirts emblazoned with Harden’s picture.

Sixers followers wore his jersey as they hanged over the tunnel to the locker room and waited for Harden to expire onto the court docket. With about an hour left in warmups, Harden emerged to an enormous ovation. He shot 3s and joked with coaches and teammates, oblivious to the expectations forward.

Sixers coach Doc Rivers has constructed winners with Corridor of Famers and All-Stars on his roster and understands the necessity to shut out the frenzy that adopted Harden’s debut.

“I do the identical job, the identical work. It’s simply that extra folks discover,” Rivers stated. “I believe once you get a man like James and Joel along with what we now have, with all of our different guys, our guys sense it, too. Not the hoopla, although. It’s that they’ve an actual shot. You don’t get many of those.”

The Knicks, losers of 13 of 15 video games, led at halftime and saved the lead early within the third. Embiid twice hit 3s that introduced the Sixers inside one. Then Philly obtained going. Maxey scored 11 factors within the quarter and the Sixers outscored the Knicks 38-19 to lastly seize the lead for good. Embiid, Maxey and even Georges Niang every hit two 3s within the quarter.

TIP-INS

Knicks: New York is 9-20 in opposition to opponents over .500. … Kentucky coach John Calipari reunited for a quick chat together with his former participant, Julius Randle. … RJ Barrett scored 30 factors.

“I simply need us to lock into enchancment. are available in each day, put every part you have got into it,” Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau stated. “That’s the place our focus has to lie proper now. We’ve obtained to recover from the hump and shut the video games out. That’s our problem. Continue to grow, preserve getting higher ,study from errors.”

76ers: Harden hit two 3-pointers. Ben Simmons, the All-Star he was traded from Brooklyn for, made 5 whole in his four-year 76ers’ profession.

WILT’S 100

The 76ers celebrated the sixtieth anniversary of Wilt Chamberlain’s 100-point recreation. On March 2, 1962, on the Hershey Sports activities Area, Chamberlain shot 36 of 63 from the ground and an un-Wilt-like 28 of 32 from the free throw line. He performed all 48 minutes within the Philadelphia Warriors’ 169-147 win over the Knicks. Members of Chamberlain’s household helped ring the pregame bell.

BOOS TO BOOZE

Stateside Vodka, a Philly-based vodka firm, had provided $25 present playing cards as a part of a trade-in for outdated Simmons jerseys. The corporate stated Wednesday it obtained 352 jerseys that have been donated to shelters in Brooklyn.

UP NEXT

76ers: Host Cleveland on Friday.

Knicks: Open a six-game street journey — although the ultimate recreation is in Brooklyn — on Friday in Phoenix.