James Harden is looking to have a massive season with the Philadelphia 76ers in 2022-23 after the team acquired him earlier this year for former No. 1 overall pick Ben Simmons. Harden had a poor run in the playoffs but has been looking to remedy that in the future.
The 76ers are already being positioned as one of the marquee teams in the NBA. The NBA finally announced their Christmas Day slate of games, the league’s biggest night of regular season games alongside opening day. Stars like LeBron James, Luka Doncic, Stephen Curry, Nikola Jokic, Jayson Tatum, Ja Morant, and many others will be in action on the night.
Harden and Embiid can join that club as they will be traveling to the iconic Madison Square Garden in New York to face the Knicks on Christmas. While the Knicks aren’t expected to be title contenders, MSG is one of the most iconic venues in basketball. Harden is incredibly excited to be playing in New York on Christmas.
Christmas in the garden!
— James Harden (@JHarden13) August 14, 2022
The Knicks are looking poised for a playoff push as their core has had one more season together and has added Jalen Brunson from the Dallas Mavericks. Brunson was crucial for the Mavs run to the Western Conference Finals and will inject some stability into the Knicks’ guard rotation.
The success of the 76ers depends largely on what Harden brings to the table. We’ve seen Joel Embiid fail to lead the team out of the second round of the playoffs before, so Harden’s contribution will be key in helping Embiid and the 76ers make their first Conference Finals in 20 years.
Christmas is going to be a fun night and the 76ers are in prime position for a massive showing on one of the biggest nights of the regular season. The Knicks are solid but the 76ers are expected to make a run at the championship, so this matchup is going to give them a great opportunity to make a massive statement on December 25.
