PHILADELPHIA, PA - MARCH 02: James Harden #1 of the Philadelphia 76ers looks on against the New York Knicks in the second half at the Wells Fargo Center on March 2, 2022 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
The 76ers defeated the Knicks 123-108. NOTE TO US PHILADELPHIA - Much like his bushy beard, James Harden is starting to grow on the 76ers.Harden had a packed house in a frenzy from the moment he was introduced as "making his Philadelphia home debut," then flashed his MVP-form with 26 points, nine assists and nine rebounds to lead the 76ers to a 123-108 win over the New York Knicks on Wednesday night.Joel Embiid had 27 points and 12 rebounds.
Tyrese Maxey scored 25 points.But the night belonged to the Beard.The Sixers moved to 3-0 with Harden in the lineup and his dynamic duo hookup with Embiid has suddenly stamped the Sixers as legitimate contenders in the Eastern Conference.Harden needed time to warm up to the new digs.
His first points came with 5:32 left in the first quarter on, naturally, an and-1 conversion. He followed that with, yup, his step-back 3 to give him five fast points.There was much more to showcase.Sixers fans flocked to the Wells Fargo Center on Wednesday excited for the Philadelphia debut of James Harden.He scored 13 points in the second quarter and had fans shooting video on their phones and waving cutouts of his head as they were going wild in the crowd.Harden expected his debut would be "turnt" and was it ever; Philly’s hype for the new arrival rivaled the anticipated first games over the last 25 years of Terrell Owens (Eagles) and Bryce Harper (Phillies).