“Who Won the Trade” Calls Rock the Sixers as James Harden Sends Pacers Guard on the Floor and Shimmies After Nailing a Three-Pointer
Unlike the previous two seasons, James Harden entered the current one in fantastic form. Due to his terrible physical condition during that time, the 2018 NBA MVP found it difficult to perform to his full capacity. During that time, Harden sustained injuries as well. But “The Beard” made the most of his good health going into the 2022 offseason. He worked hard to get back to his best shape. He has so far seen benefits from that, and Harden is once again playing like an MVP-caliber player.
James Harden led the team in scoring with 29 points on 10-for-18 (55.6%) shooting, nine rebounds, 11 assists, and two steals. But one play by Harden in the fourth quarter in particular truly stood out.
James Harden puts down Pacers SG Bennedict Mathurin as he continues to impress for the Sixers
Bennedict Mathurin of the Pacers, a rookie shooting guard, was knocked to the ground after Harden brought the ball up the court and crossed over him. He then moved forward, shimmied, and splashed a triple. What matters, though, is that James Harden has been coming across as particularly snarky so far this season.
"boom." pic.twitter.com/xwmG85ycFB
— Philadelphia 76ers (@sixers) October 25, 2022
Sixers announcer Kate Scott deserves praise for making the “who won the trade” call. Especially in light of how Ben’s performance versus Memphis went that night.
Ja Morant baited Ben Simmons into fouling out 🧠 pic.twitter.com/QZTCci9Z8M
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) October 25, 2022
In the first three games of the 2022–23 NBA season, Ben Simmons has nearly as many points (17) as fouls (14), and he has already fouled out twice. The starting forward for the Nets has yet to total more than 7 points in a contest and exudes extreme insecurity in every facet of his game. His lone positive statistic was that he had 8 assists but also had 5 turnovers before fouling out in the end.
Ben Simmons has played 3 games this season.
He’s fouled out in two of them.
He has 17 points and 14 fouls this season. pic.twitter.com/XkPuMv8PgX
— StatMuse (@statmuse) October 25, 2022
Ja Morant tricked Ben Simmons into getting fouled out with more than three minutes left in the fourth quarter. Despite the fact that the officials made a severe decision, the Nets players really bought into it. However, the fact that Simmons has fouled out in 66% of games so far this season is a very concerning trend.
But let’s go back to the important stuff, like the fact that James Harden has been playing like his old self to start this season. He has produced nights of 35, 31, and 29 points in his first four games of the year.
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