Philadelphia 76ers superstar James Harden made his debut with the team in a 133-102 victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Harden arrived in Philadelphia at trade deadline after being part of a deal that sent Ben Simmons to Brooklyn.
The veteran superstar made his much anticipated debut recording a double-double in his Sixers’ debut.
Doc Rivers used Harden for 35 minutes. Many of them came alongside Tobias Harris and Joel Embiid.
Embiid and Harden were a plus-49 in Friday’s contest, while they had 67 percent on EFG% and a TS% of 72 percent in 25.5 minutes.
James Harden finished the 133-102 win with 27 points, 12 assists and eight rebounds. Embiid on the other side, added another MVP-type of performance with 34 points, 10 rebounds and three assists.
🔥 27 PTS (7-12 FGM) | 8 REB | 12 AST | 5 3PM 🔥 James Harden dropped 27 PTS in his debut to secure the win for the @sixers! pic.twitter.com/oTXt96xTtn — NBA (@NBA) February 26, 2022
Tyrese Maxey remained a factor with 28 points on 12-of-16 shooting. Embiid, Harden and Maxey combined for 89 points to lead Philadelphia to its 36th win this season.
“We’re unselfish, we just want to win,” Harden said. “We’ve got guys, from top to bottom, that it feels that way on the court. Great things are going to happen more times than not. My job is to come in and add to each individual on this team,” Harden said after the game.
Sixers’president Daryl Morey claimed James wanted to play with Embiid for a long time. Five of Harden’s 12 assists went to Embiid Friday night.
“James is a basketball genius,” Morey said. “And he’s been wanting to play with Joel for a long time. I think he’s always thought Joel was, like, the perfect guy to pair with him,” Morey said per Ramona Shelburne of ESPN.
During his debut, the Philadelphia 76ers were a plus-35 with Harden on the floor. The veteran guard’s first appearance in Philadelphia was an absolute success, but the Sixers have a long way to go as the goal is to win a championship.
.@sixers @JHarden13 has reached 2,550 career 3-pointers. He joins @StephenCurry30 as the only two active @NBA players to reach the mark. He's the fourth player in @NBAHistory with at least 2,550, along with Curry and Hall of Famers Ray Allen and Reggie Miller. h/t @bball_ref — Sixers Stats (@SixersStats) February 26, 2022
Photo: Stacy Bengs / AP
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