Sixers

SOURCE SPORTS: James Harden Hits Game-Winner to Knot Sixers-Celtics Series at 2-2

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James Harden Hits Game-Winner to Knot Sixers-Celtics Series at 2-2

James Harden is fighting against those playoff performance allegations. For the second time in the Philadelphia 76ers’ Eastern Conference Semifinals matchup against the Boston Celtics, Harden has led the team to victory.

With 19 seconds left in Game 3 and the Sixers staring at a 3-1 hole, Harden swished a corner 3-pointer to lead the Sixers to a 116-115 overtime victory. Harden finished the game with 42 points on 16-for-23 shooting. He also had eight rebounds, nine assists, and four steals.

Harden’s tag team partner, league MVP Joel Embiid, added 34 points and 13 rebounds.

In the postgame, Harden reveals a message from head coach Doc Rivers, including a gospel song that may have assisted in his performance.

“I’m on my way to the game, and I get a text from Doc,” Harden to ESPN. “It’s a gospel song, and I’m like, ‘All right, whatever.’ So, I just tell my homies, ‘Let’s play the song.’ It’s a seven-minute song, but I let the whole song play.”

He added, “I was like, ‘All right, there’s got to be some kind of good juju in this song, or however he’s feeling, I want to feel like that.’ And I guess it worked.”

The series will now shift back to Boston for Game 5 on Tuesday.

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James Harden Gives Joel Embiid A Rolex For Winning MVP

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On May 2, Joel Embiid became the first Sixer since Allen Iverson in 2001 to be named NBA MVP. While many expected Denver’s Nikola Jokic to become the first back-to-back-to-back MVP since Larry Bird, Embiid pulled away in the final weeks of the season. However, Embiid’s MVP was far from unanimous. Embiid received 73 of 100 first-place votes, but two writers even voted Embiid as low as third. Jokic received 15 first-place votes while the Bucks’ Giannis Antetokounmpo received 12.

Despite this, Embiid’s MVP has been a long time coming for many people. He finished second in voting to Jokic the past two years. While Embiid has been in the NBA for nearly a decade now, he has truly begun to come into his own in the past few seasons. In recognition of finally earning the title, he received a very special gift from one of his teammates. And Embiid’s reaction is nothing short of heart-meltingly sweet.

Harden Gives Embiid A Rolex

The Sixers posted the moment that James Harden surprised Embiid with the gift on social media. The gift in question is a rose-gold Rolex. Embiid can’t believe it as he opens the box in front of assorted media. “Oooooo, my first Rolex, ” Embiid can be heard while struggling to find his words, “I’ve never had a Rolex”. Harden then takes the watch and turns it over to reveal that “23 MVP” has been engraved on the back of the watch’s face.

After embracing Harden, Embiid then struggles to put the watch on. As he attempts to simply shove it over his fist, he asks the associated individuals, “how do you wear watches?” Finally he gives up, declaring it to be too small for his wrist. I don’t know if Rolexes have clasps but no one attempts to unclasp the watch at any point in the video. This is understandable as later in the video, Embiid reveals that this is not just his first Rolex, this is his first watch ever. Sure, the Sixers would go on to get blown out in their game later that day. But this video is just adorable. It just goes to show the level of team spirit that the Sixers embody.

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Everyone Hates TNT’s Drone Cam

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Sports broadcasting is always trying new things. Sometimes these things work, such as the NFL’s Skycam. Other times, it takes a while for things to catch on, such as Fox‘s Cletus the Football Robot. There has also been the revelation of spring football leagues, where new tech is often trialed. The USFL has previously introduced innovations like helmet cams.

Basketball is a difficult sport to film, given the much smaller court and the need for quick and frequent transitions. In the past, broadcasters such as ABC have utilized a high-angle, track-mounted cam to be able to follow the action. But in Game 2 of the Sixers-Celtics series, TNT debuted a quadcopter drone to fly over the game at various points. Safe to say, people do not like this.

TNT Drone Cam Is Not A Hit

The drone cam footage, which obviously can only do so much given it’s about 10 feet off the ground and can’t get too close to the action, is just kind of weird. It gives the game an uncanny valley, NBA 2K-esque look. It doesn’t feel like you’re actually watching a basketball game. Even worse, you don’t even get to play the fake video game you’re watching. Furthermore, the footage is not of the same quality as the HD TV broadcast, making it jarring to switch between the two. While it’s kind of neat to see drone technology like this, what’s it really adding to the experience?

The general consensus on social media was that everyone hates the drone. This is mostly because it doesn’t add anything to the experience, and also looks bad. One Twitter user posted a picture of Hitchbot with the comment “When they try that drone came in Philly”. Hitchbot was a hitchhiking robot that successfully hitchhiked coast-to-coast in Canada. They tried the same experiment in the US, and Hitchbot was brutally murdered as soon as he reached Philadelphia. Another user expressed their sympathy for the media team, who presumably had the drone cam forced upon them. Again, drone cam sounds fun in theory but in practice, is a superfluous novelty that doesn’t actually add anything to the viewing experience.

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Joel Embiid Returns But Sixers Suffer Blowout Loss

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After missing the past two games, Joel Embiid was finally able to return to the court for the Philadelphia 76ers. The Sixers had managed without him in Game 1 against the Boston Celtics, largely thanks to James Harden. Harden had put up 45 points to steal a road win in Boston. However, the Sixers needed Embiid back on the court to stand a chance at weathering the Boston storm long-term.

However, the Sixers’ Game 1 win put the team in a good position. Rather than utilize Embiid to play catch up on their Eastern Conference rivals, they could use their MVP to extend their lead. The Sixers have not progressed past the Conference Semifinals since the 2000-01 season. They are 0-6 in the second round of the playoffs since that season. Two of those series losses have come against the Celtics.

Celtics Rout Sixers

So about capitalizing on that lead with Embiid back. Understandably, Doc Rivers played his MVP cautiously. The center had 15 points, 3 rebounds, and 5 blocks in 27 minutes. However, no one was able to set up to replace his productivity, even with Rivers using all but one of his bench players. Tobias Harris led the team in scoring with 16 points. Meanwhile, Philly’s nine bench players saw a combined 97 minutes on the floor but only managed to add 26 points, 14 rebounds, and 6 assists. Embiid and Harris were the only Sixers starters to reach 15 points.

The real story of the game came from the Celtics’ defense. After allowing the Sixers to sink 17 threes in Game 1, Boston forced an awful 6-for-30 shooting night from behind the arc in Game 2. While Jayson Tatum put up just seven points on a foul-riddled night, other Celtics stepped up offensively. Jaylen Brown led all scorers with 25 points while Marcus Brogdon added 23 from the bench. The resulting 121-87 drubbing becomes Philly’s fourth-worst playoff loss in team history. Ironically, the worst playoff loss, a 40-point loss in 1982, also came at the hands of the Celtics. However, the Sixers will get the chance to bounce back at home as the series moves to Philadelphia. The Sixers went 29-12 at Wells Fargo Center during the regular season. Game 3 is set for May 5 at 7:30pm.

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Joel Embiid To Play In Sixers-Celtics Game 2

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While the Philadelphia 76ers have only been without newly-crowned MVP Joel Embiid for two games, it has felt like an age for fans. Embiid was assessed to have an LCL sprain in his right knee following Game 3 of the first-round matchup between the Sixers and Nets. This forced Embiid to miss the series-sealing Game 4. The Sixers are not an “Embiid or bust” team. However, the star’s absence has definitely been felt on the court.

Ahead of their second-round matchup against the Boston Celtics, Sixers head coach Doc Rivers warned fans that Embiid was likely not ready to play in Game 1. However, even without Embiid, the Sixers managed to steal a win on the road thanks to the heroics of James Harden. Harden put up 45 points in the Sixers’ Game 1 road victory. But now, finally, Sixers fans are set to receive some good news.

Embiid Back Barring Setback

First reported by The Athletic, Joel Embiid will appear in May 3’s Game 2 provided he is able to get through Wednesday’s team shootaround and pre-game workout. Embiid will also likely be asked about his playing condition at an NBA press conference concerning his MVP award. Confidence seems high though, with Embiid the first player onto the court during the team workout on Wednesday morning. Game 2 between the Sixers and Celtics is scheduled to begin at 8:00PM EDT. The game will take place at Boston’s TD Garden.

However, Rivers is still being cautious about his star player’s condition. “It’s just health-based. If he can play, he plays. If he can’t, he can’t. And if it’s 50-50, we would probably err on the other side [and not have him play], because we’ve done that all year,” Rivers said on Tuesday afternoon. Embiid appeared in 66 regular season games for the Sixers this season. That was third-highest amongst starters, trailing P.J. Tucker and Tobias Harris. Additionally, through three playoff games, Embiid is averaging 20 points and 11.3 rebounds per game. Who do you think will win between the Sixers and Celtics? Be sure to make HotNewHipHop your number one stop for all the latest sports news.

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Embiid Likely Out For Game 1 Versus Celtics

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MVP front-runner Joel Embiid has been the beating heart of the Sixers all season. However, he was limited to just three games in the Sixers’ four-game sweep of the Nets. The center reportedly suffered an LCL sprain in his right knee, ruling him out of the series-sealing Game 4.

Elsewhere, after postponing a Janet Jackson concert, the Boston Celtics prevailed 4-2 over the Atlanta Hawks. That sets up a second-round meeting between the Celtics and Sixers. No fan needs to be told just how much these two teams hate each other. But Sixers might want to stop reading as Doc Rivers have given an update about Embiid…

Rivers Wouldn’t Bet On Embiid Playing on Monday

“There is no latest,” head coach Doc Rivers said in his media availability on April 29. “Obviously, the doctors looked at him, and he didn’t do anything today. I’ll say this, but if I was a betting man, I would probably say doubtful for at least Game 1. But we’ll see.” That is far from the news that Sixers fans wanted to hear about their star. A healthy Embiid would be vital to overcoming the Celtics, who finished ahead of the Sixers in the regular season. When asked when Embiid might be ready to play, Rivers had a similar dry response. “He has to get better,” was the simple response.

If Embiid does miss Game 1, bench center Paul Reed will likely join the starting five. “I keep the same mental preparation and physical preparation as I would even if he was playing,” Reed said. “I won’t change up what I’m doing any differently. I keep the same mental focus.” Reed had a double-double when starting in place of Embiid for Game 4 against the Nets. “It does a lot for my confidence knowing I can step in and play valuable minutes for the team and give us a boost that we needed in order to close out that series,” Reed continued. “So now I feel I can go into the next series and give us another boost. If Joel is not playing, I’m confident I can come in and give us a lot of energy and help us win.”

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Harden Gets Ejected For Groin Punch

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“Flagrant foul” appears to be the NBA’s word of the week. Draymond Green received a “flagrant 2” for stomping on Domantas Sabonis earlier in the week. Then last night, Joel Embiid got a “flagrant 1” for kicking Nic Claxton while James Harden got a “flagrant 2” for sack-tapping Royce O’Neale. But what even is a “flagrant foul”?

Flagrant fouls are the highest form of in-game penalty in basketball. A “flagrant 1” is defined as “unnecessary contact committed by a player against an opponent.” Meanwhile, a “flagrant 2” is “unnecessary and excessive contact committed by a player against an opponent.” Additionally, both calls carry a standard two-free-throw penalty. However, getting two flagrant 1s or one flagrant 2 in a game also carries an immediate ejection.

Harden Allegedly Goes Below The Belt

Game 3 of the 76ers-Nets series was weird. The Sixers were 2-0 on the series and looking to put the penultimate nail in Brooklyn’s coffin. But less than four minutes into the game, Joel Embiid was called for a flagrant 1 after kicking Nic Claxton. Claxton had just postered Embiid with a heavy alley-oop dunk and Embiid kicked him as Claxton stepped over the MVP front-runner. Furthermore, at the time of the foul, the Nets led 6-4. However, the Sixers found themselves up 11 at the half. The game then swung back and forth until the end of the third, with the Nets up four. The Sixers get Harden the ball off an offensive rebound, hoping he can sink a three.

Royce O’Neale closes in on Harden before Harden begins to drive closer to the three line. Harden appears to make light contact with O’Neale’s groin and O’Neale goes down like he’s been shot. Harden was called for a flagrant 2 and tossed from the game. But we’re not done as Claxton, from the Embiid thing earlier, would also be ejected before game’s end. After dunking on Embiid again in the fourth, Claxton was tossed for flexing on Embiid and being called for a second technical foul. Previously, he had picked up his first tech for stepping over Embiid in the first. Eventually, the Sixers pulled off a 102-97 win, taking a 3-0 series lead into Saturday’s Game 4.

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SOURCE SPORTS: Allen Iverson Welcomes James Harden to Philly Ahead of His Home Game Debut

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Ahead of James Harden’s Philadelphia 76ers home debut, Allen Iverson offered some kind words of welcome to the star guard. Hitting Instagram and Twitter, The Answer saluted The Beard.

“The fans in Philadelphia are the best in the world, you’ll see tonight…. Welcome Home killa!!!” Iverson wrote.

Harden’s home debut was his third win in as many games. He finished the night with 26 points, nine boards, and nine assists. He also spoke glowingly of the Philly faithful. “The love, the fans, it feels like home. Just the love, the support, man, from looking around, hearing, ‘We love you, James.’”

You can see the highlights from his performance below.

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