Stephen A. Smith destroys James Harden after no show in Game 6
Photo by Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images
James Harden played no role when the Philadelphia 76ers were eliminated from the NBA playoffs. Stephen A. Smith had some thoughts.
The Philadelphia 76ers entered the good night calmly, ending their 2022 postseason with a 99-90 loss to the Miami Heat. It was the fourth time in the last five seasons that the 76ers have been knocked out in the second round.
There are countless reasons the 76ers’ season is over, but their stars’ failure to show up in the biggest game was definitely part of it. Tobias Harris, Tyrese Maxey and Joel Embiid had a combined 54 points but shot 22 of 59 (37.3 percent) from the field and 5 of 20 from behind the arc with as many turnovers (7) and assists (7).
And then there was James Harden.
The 76ers’ big midseason signing finished with just 11 points and attempted just nine shots in the game, just two in the second half. As one astute NBA Redditor pointed out, Harden finished the final two fourth quarters of the season with 0 combined points. Even Ben Simmons scored three points in his last two fourth quarters for the 76ers.
As you might expect, Stephen A. Smith had a lot to say about Harden’s non-appearance
Stephen A. wasn’t the only one to throw shadows at Harden after the game. Joel Embiid was pretty open in describing the kind of player Harden is at this point in his career. Tyrese Maxey was seen throwing a seat cushion after arguing with Harden on the bench.
For his part, Harden seemed to attribute his passivity to the ball not getting back into his hands.
In the postseason, Harden averaged 18.6 points, 8.6 rebounds and 5.7 assists per game but shot just 40.5 percent from the field and attempted fewer shots than Embiid, Harris and Maxey. It’s clear he’s not the same player he used to be. But can he be the player the 76ers need?
https://fansided.com/2022/05/13/stephen-a-smith-destroys-james-harden/ Stephen A. Smith destroys James Harden after no show in Game 6
