James Harden had a terrible Thursday night against the Miami Heat, scoring only 11 points and just attempting one shot in the second half of the game. The Philadelphia 76ers were knocked out of the 2022 NBA playoff, and many people pointed at Harden for the defeat.
People like Stephen A. Smith blasted Harden for his performance, even saying that his performance needs to be investigated. It was a terrible game for the player, but the bad night didn’t end there.
Following the match, he received many bad comments for his game, and one legend didn’t mince words to criticize Harden’s 11-point outing. Magic Johnson took to Twitter to express his disappointment in Harden for disappearing in an elimination game:
James Harden, in a close out game you can't have a performance like that; only take two shots and score no points in the second half?
— Earvin Magic Johnson (@MagicJohnson) May 13, 2022
James Harden, in a close out game you can’t have a performance like that; only take two shots and score no points in the second half?
Magic has been very active during the playoffs. Even though the Lakers aren’t part of the postseason, he’s been watching every game closely. The Sixers missed another opportunity to win it all this season, and not even Harden was enough to reach the next level.
Doc Rivers was confirmed as the team’s head coach for next season, and Harden appears to be ready to run it back with them. Joel Embiid is keen to win the NBA championship, but it remains to be seen if this team, as it is constructed right now, can take it to the next level and win it all.
Harden isn’t the same player he used to be, and that was visible this postseason. Perhaps he adapts his style of play this offseason and starts impacting games in different ways. This is not the Harden from Houston or the one that landed from Brooklyn. He needs to figure things out to really help his team.
