Playing defense in today’s NBA is hard enough, and the incompetence of the officials makes it just that much more difficult.
In the first quarter of the game between the Philadelphia 76ers and the Washington Wizards, James Harden first extended his arm and then elbowed Kristaps Porzingis while going for a layup. The result? Two free throws for Harden.
James Harden extend his arm & elbows Kristaps Porzingis, still he gets the 2 free throws. pic.twitter.com/B7nFHtuQyU
— hoops bot (@hoops_bot) March 12, 2023
Redditors were not happy with it and expressed their frustration.
“The NBA has made it impossible to play defense.” said a fan who blames the league for the way things are going.
“The fact he still complains after missing the layup, come on lol.” a fan blasted Harden for still moaning to the officials.
“Ball Don’t Lie.” stated a fan, as Harden missed the first free throw.
“The refs are so trash.” said a fan who blasted the officials for once again missing an obvious call.
“That’s awful lol.” said a Sixers fan, which says all you need to know about this.
That was as clear an offensive foul as you are going to see. The fact that they don’t call it but then blow the whistle because Porzingis, who had been pushed away, had to lunge to contest the shot and grazed Harden’s arm is ridiculous.
Harden is by no means the only one who does this, and players around the league will keep at it until the NBA steps in and stops rewarding offensive players all the time. All the scoring outbursts are great for the league, but this isn’t how the game is supposed to be played.
The Sixers Just Keep Winning
As for the rest of the game, the Sixers comfortably came out on top. They won 112-93, as Joel Embiid finished with 34 points, 8 rebounds, and 4 blocks, while Harden had 18 points and 14 assists. It was the 5th straight win for the Sixers, who are just 3.0 games behind the top-seeded Milwaukee Bucks and are very much in with a chance at finishing atop the standings.
Harden and Embiid now also find themselves in the top 5 in the MVP race, as per Basketball Reference, thanks to their excellent recent play. Anthony Edwards went as far as to say that Embiid is the MVP for him, and there are many who would agree with that. The Sixers seem to be in the best shape they’ve ever been, leading up to the playoffs in the Embiid era, and fans would be hoping they can get over the finish line this time.
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