James Harden Feels Sixers' Confidence Growing as Miami Heat Matchup Progresses
The Philadelphia 76ers' playoff run started late last month with a first round series against the Toronto Raptors.
Three games into the series, the Sixers were nearing a sweep as they collected three-straight victories over the Raptors.
Although the 76ers found themselves losing two games in possible elimination matchups, they managed to put away the Raptors for good with a Game 6 win, advancing to the second round of the playoffs once again.
When the Sixers made it to the second round, the road got more difficult. Considering they were set to face the top-seeded Miami Heat, the Sixers started the series out on the road and did it were without their MVP finalist, Joel Embiid.
Through the first two games of the second-round series, the Sixers came up short to the Heat. While they didn't lose confidence following those two matchups, it was clear they had work to do if they wanted to stay alive in the postseason.
Joel Embiid's return to the lineup helped the Sixers a ton in Games 3 and 4. Fortunately for Philadelphia, his presence helped the Sixers go from facing a possible 0-3 hole to tying the series up at 2-2 going into Game 5.
While James Harden acknowledged that Embiid's return was simply a key for Philly's success in those last two games, the ten-time All-Star also believes the team is gaining more confidence as a whole as the playoffs progress.
"We’re getting more confident as the series goes on," said Harden after Game 4. "Those first two games were a blur. Obviously having Jo and having our full team, we kind of know what to expect, and where to execute on both ends of the ball. It just makes your job a lot easier."
Throughout the final stretch of the regular season, Harden and the Sixers preached that with time the team will only get better considering there was a significant change to the roster following the deadline. On Sunday night, he reiterated that message.
"Think about it, we’re still a fairly new team," Harden continued. "We’re damn near two months in, so when we’re finally catching a rhythm and finding something that works. Jo goes out for a couple of games, so we’re finally settling into the series. And we found some great things that worked tonight and that we can capitalize on."
The Sixers and the Heat will battle it out once again on Tuesday night for Game 5. A victory for the Sixers could put them in a prime position to have the Heat facing elimination in a Game 6 scenario in Philadelphia. As long as they stick to a similar script as their last two matchups, the 76ers believe they are in excellent shape moving forward.
Justin Grasso covers the Philadelphia 76ers for Sports Illustrated. You can follow him for live updates on Twitter: @JGrasso_.
More Sixers News:
Joel Embiid Comes Up Short: According to a report, Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic has won the NBA’s Most Valuable Player Award for the second season in a row. Once again, Sixers center Joel Embiid is expected to be considered the runner-up for the award. CLICK HERE TO READ MORE.
James Harden Lifts Sixers Past Heat: The Sixers took on the Miami Heat for the Game 4 matchup of their second-round series on Sunday night. With a big scoring night from James Harden, the Sixers managed to even the series score at two before going back to Miami. CLICK HERE TO READ MORE.
