Daily News | If the real James Harden just stood up, the Sixers are suddenly a championship-caliber team
The uniform looked the same. The beard looked the same. The number, the name, the shoes — all of it suggested that the man with the ball in his hands was the same James Harden we saw here last season. But this was some different dude. And if he sticks around, the Sixers are a radically different team.
Forget about the numbers. They were great, no doubt: 23 points, 13 assists, 7-of-13 from three-point range. But the real testament was the individual plays. Start with that devastating second-quarter step-back move that he unleashed on poor Spencer Dinwiddie. One moment, Harden was dribbling to his right with his eyes on the baseline, a quick first step planting inside of the arc as if he was going to make his move toward the rim.
Now, go back to Saturday. That second-quarter stepback against Dinwiddie was one of three he drained. Three of his seven makes came without an assist., who attempted six fewer shots than Harden in the win over the Nets, finishing with a modest 26 points. “By him attacking, it collapses the defense and creates open shots for everybody else. He’s not just being a playmaker. He’s being aggressive, going downhill, and creating for himself.
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