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James Harden and the Philadelphia 76ers will play the Brooklyn Nets on Thursday in the first meeting of the two teams since their blockbuster deal last month. Kendrick Perkins weighed in on the highly anticipated matchup Wednesday on ESPN's “NBA Today.”
KD and Kyrie taking Thursday's Brooklyn vs. Philly matchup personal against James Harden
Kendrick Perkins said:
“KD (Kevin Durant) and Kyrie (Irving of the Brooklyn Nets) is gonna take this matchup personal towards James Harden, and vice versa. James Harden (of the Philadelphia 76ers) is gonna wanna go at KD and Kyrie.”
When asked about the game, Durant and Irving gave the impression it is anticipated but will not be too personal.
Irving said:
“It’s never too personal, but we understand as competitors we wanna win the game.”
This is the first time the teams will play since the trade deadline deal last month. Every player involved in the trade, except former Philadelphia guard Ben Simmons, is going to be playing. So fans will finally get a partial taste of who got the better end.
Harden has averaged 24.6 points, 12.4 assists and 7.6 rebounds in five games for Philadelphia. Embiid is averaging 29.7 ppg, 11.2 rpg and 4.3 apg in an MVP-caliber season.
In their last game against the Chicago Bulls, Embiid scored 43 points with 14 rebounds and three blocks. Harden added 16 points, 14 points and eight rebounds.
They seem to be meshing well and dominating after just five games together – all wins. Embiid finally has a guard to his caliber, one who can create the open space in the offense. The combo means trouble for the rest of the East.
The 76ers (40-24) are in second in the East. Brooklyn (33-33) has tumbled to eighth after going 10-24 since Dec. 30.
Harden chose to leave Brooklyn because he believed Embiid and Philadelphia were hungrier for an NBA championship than Brooklyn seemed to be. With Irving unable to play in New York City or Toronto because of vaccine mandates and KD dealing with a knee injury, Harden felt he was being wasted.
When asked about playing with Embiid after the Chicago game, Harden said:
“I just had to go out there and be a playmaker … (Embiid) had it going from the beginning. I see that. If he needed help, I was there to help him, but 43 points is a pretty good game. I think all of us just tried to fill in where we needed to.”
Thursday night's game is going to show how well they match up against Irving and KD in what could be one of the most intense matchups of this season.
Perkins believes this game is going to be heated and personal.
Harden has not voiced any personal rivalry, but as Irving said, the game is competitive. Some of the league's most determined players will match up after a blockbuster trade shifted narratives in both cities.
Harden and Embiid have been considered the best duo in the East since the trade. Will Durant and Irving try and stake their claim Thursday?
