Harden energizes 76ers before he even arrives
James Harden already made his first Philly highlight reel.
The 76ers gave a tease of Harden's impending arrival with a flipbook-style video of his career that ended with a shot of The Beard superimposed in a No. 1 jersey. Sixers fans gave the clip a roaring standing ovation.
The 76ers can't wait for the real deal to get to town.
Joel Embiid had 25 points, 19 rebounds and 5 blocked shots, and the 76ers won as they wait on Harden, 100-87 over the visiting Oklahoma City Thunder on Friday night.
“Everybody's going to have extreme expectations,” 76ers forward Tobias Harris said. “I think this thing will really work. I think there's something really special that we could do.”
Harden, who has a hamstring injury, is expected to travel to the area this weekend and get evaluated by the team's medical staff. He won't play today against Cleveland. The means the earliest Harden could play for the 76ers is at home Tuesday against Boston. The 76ers also play Thursday at NBA champion Milwaukee before the All-Star break.
Sixers fans rushed the team stores when doors opened to get the jump on Harden jerseys. Yup, some die-hards wore a Harden jersey before the threetime NBA scoring champ could in Philly.
Harden was acquired from the Brooklyn Nets at Thursday's trade deadline for 2016 No. 1 pick and three-time All-Star Ben Simmons. Simmons never played a game this season following an offseason trade demand. The Sixers got the second star they craved to pair with Embiid as they chase their first NBA championship since 1983.
CELTICS 108, NUGGETS 102>> Jayson Tatum had 24 points, Marcus Smart added 22 points, 5 steals and 2 crucial free throws, and the Celtics held on in Boston for their seventh straight victory. Robert Williams added 15 points and 16 rebounds to help Boston extend its longest winning streak of the season. Derrick White had 15 points, 6 rebounds and 2 assists in his debut with Celtics after being acquired from San Antonio in a trade-deadline deal. Boston spoiled another big night for Nikola Jokic, who had his 71st career triple-double with 23 points, 16 rebounds and 11 assists. Aaron Gordon finished with 17 points. CAVALIERS 120, PACERS 113>> Caris LeVert scored 22 points and had five assists in his return to Indiana, and Cleveland's defense put together a strong fourth quarter to rally for a win. The Cavaliers stayed within striking distance of the Eastern Conference's top seed by winning their fifth straight overall. They also ended a three-game losing streak at Indianapolis that dated to December 2018. Jarrett Allen had 22 points and 14 rebounds, while Kevin Love scored his 7,000th career point since joining Cleveland and finished with 14. The played without All-Star guard Darius Garland, who repored a sore back. He averages 19.9 points and 8.1 assists.
HORNETS 141, PISTONS 119>> LaMelo Ball had 31 points and 12 assists, Terry Rozier added a triple-double and visiting Charlotte ended a six-game losing streak. Detroit has lost seven in a row and 11 of 12. Rozier finished with 25 points, 11 assists and 10 rebounds. Miles Bridges had 25 points for the Hornets, who haven't won since beating the Lakers on Jan. 28.
SPURS 136, HAWKS 121>> Dejounte Murray tied his career highs with 32 points and 15 assists to go with 10 rebounds for his 11th tripledouble this season, Keldon Johnson scored 26 points and San Antonio cruised in Atlanta. The Spurs shot 24% on 33 3-point attempts in Wednesday's loss at Cleveland, but they got off to a sizzling start. The were 8 for 9 to take a 4329 lead at the end of the first quarter. San Antonio tied a season high with 18 3-pointers.
BULLS 134, TIMBERWOLVES 122>> DeMar DeRozan scored 35 points to lead host Chicago.