76ers Star James Harden Gets Redemption vs. Pacers

James Harden wanted to prove to the NBA that he wasn’t on the road to regressing, as many speculated throughout the 2021-2022 season. After getting an entire drama and injury-free offseason under his belt with the 76ers, Harden was confident he was entering the new year ready to silence his newfound critics.

Against the Boston Celtics, Harden had an impressive outing. In 37 minutes, the star guard produced 35 points on 14 shots from the field and 12 free throws. Despite an exceptional performance, Harden left the Boston matchup unsatisfied for two reasons.

One: his team lost the game by nine points, which fired up a three-game losing streak to begin the year. Two: Harden’s biggest play of the 2022-2023 season opener backfired.

While being defended by Boston’s guard Marcus Smart, Harden shook off the tight defense by making a quick stop near the perimeter. Smart flew across the floor, leaving Harden wide-open for a three-point shot.

The Sixers star paused for a moment to do a little shimmy before letting it rain. When he released the shot, Harden didn’t get the result he wanted.

What did we just witness 🤣🤣 pic.twitter.com/aQ5tCeC4cM
— NBA Memes (@NBAMemes) October 19, 2022

It was a bad moment for Harden, who sought revenge for the play. While he didn’t get it against the Celtics, Harden got some form of redemption on Monday night against the Indiana Pacers.

JAMES HARDEN DROPPED MARTHURIN. 😳

pic.twitter.com/20X7nalD1O
— Hoop Central (@TheHoopCentral) October 25, 2022

Different games. Similar situations.

Harden’s quick move put his opponent on the floor, leaving him with an open shot from beyond the arc. This time around, he saved the shimmy but managed to make the shot a successful bucket in front of his home crowd.

“The last time I did that, I air-balled,” Harden laughed. “I wasn’t trying to airball. I was trying to make the shot and create the best shot available as he went down. I felt like that was an opportunity. I seen Jo out the corner of my eye on the right-hand side, but I had to get my revenge — my lick back — for air balling. Hopefully, that made up for it.”

Harden wrapped up Monday’s game with another impressive outing. After going into the fourth quarter with 18 points, Harden really came alive in crunch time and finished with 29 points in 24 minutes on the floor in the win over the Pacers.

Justin Grasso covers the Philadelphia 76ers for All76ers, a Sports Illustrated channel. You can follow him for live updates on Twitter: @JGrasso_.