Tonight, against the Wizards, James Harden became the 27th best passer in history. On the same evening, he allowed himself to pass Stephon Marbury and Nate “Tiny” Archibald, and for that, he equaled his career record of assists: 17!
“Tiny and Stephen Marbury were both really good players and creators. For me, it’s about pushing, to keep pushing, to try to make my teammates better, to keep trying to do the right thing so that good things come out of it. This gives everyone confidence.”
With Joel Embiid absent, Harden relied on his pal and former teammate, PJ Tucker to punish the Wizards.
“Tonight was the pick-and-roll. PJ did a really good job of finding an opening. Even though Porzingis is over 2m13, he found space, openings and his “floater” worked. I always have to find ways to help my teammates and make things easier for them. »
At 21, Tyrese Maxey has everything to learn from his prestigious teammate. He is also criticized for not being creative enough, and he observes how Harden prepares his matches and punishes his opponents.
“He’s played so many games, and he’s played in so many different styles and in so many great games” admire Maxey. “I think with the videos he’s watched he knows where the guys need to be. He knows how to choose his points, he knows when to attack, he knows when to make the game easier. It’s just brilliant. He was our points leader in the first quarter, just being aggressive, but I looked at the stats, and he had six or seven assists already in the first quarter. So it does a bit of everything, and that’s what we need. »
But Harden doesn’t want to talk about himself, but about the band. The Sixers quickly raised the bar, with two victories acquired without Joel Embiid, and that’s what to remember. “We keep saying it’s a work in progress… We’re always trying to find solutions to make the most of our potential. I am happy that we have gone through difficult times. It’s not all great when you win matches, and that’s how it is. »
