Is James Harden reignited after big Game 4?
James Harden was trending … in the wrong direction.
"The Beard" had gone 15 straight games without putting up 25 points, but on Sunday, he exploded for 31 points in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference semifinals, playing a starring role in the Philadelphia 76ers evening up their series against the Miami Heat.
While it's been a rough start to Harden's 76ers tenure, only averaging 18.5 points per game in the playoffs, Game 4 in Miami might have been the contest that signaled him getting his groove back.
And on Monday, the "First Things First" crew had a lengthy debate regarding Harden dialing back the clock.
Chris Broussard said he believes Harden is capable of these types of games in the playoffs, but he also spoke about what he thinks Harden's role should be on the current version of the Sixers.
"They don't need 30-point James Harden. What they need is him to be fairly efficient. In seven of their 10 playoff games, he has shot 40% or less, and in six of them, he was below 40%. You've got Joel Embiid, you've got Tyrese Maxey, you've got Tobias Harris. They just need him to be aggressive, as he was, and efficient."
Harden had something to prove in 31-point victory vs. Heat
Embiid has averaged 24.8 points in eight playoff games, while Maxey sits at 22 points in 10 games, and Harris at 17.7 points per game in 10 games.
Kevin Wildes agreed that an aggressive Beard is a better Beard, but he thinks the celebration from the Philly fanbase is a bit much, based on Harden's reputation of putting up far more than 31 points on any given night, plus the type of contract he aspires to receive.
For Harden, a 31-point night seems pedestrian. He has 36 30-point playoff performances and eight 40-point performances in his 150-game playoff career.
Now the question becomes can Harden sustain this output. Entering the fourth quarter on Sunday, he had just 15 points. It took a 16-point fourth quarter for him to reach his final total, and historically, Harden's best quarter in pivotal playoff games isn't the final one.
With that, Nick Wright said he doesn't believe this can become a common occurrence for Harden in these playoffs. Instead, he highlighted who and what he does think is sustainable, that being Embiid.
So far, it appears Philly doesn't need Harden to be the Harden of old — it just needs him to be some version of who he was in Game 4.
But as was also proven in Game 4, it wouldn't hurt if the old Harden showed up more often.
