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James Harden and the LA Clippers weren't able to fend off the Joel Embiid-less Philadelphia 76ers as they suffered a surprising loss on Sunday, despite having stars on the team. After the game, Harden left and didn't comment on his subpar performance.
The ten-time All-Star didn't have his best game against his former team. Harden finished with 12 points on 5-13 shooting from the field and 0-6 from beyond the arc. The Clippers guard was still effective on a different aspect of the floor as he had 14 assists, but that was not enough for them to win their first game of the season against Philly.
After dodging the media, his former teammate Chandler Parsons wasn't pleased with the move. Parsons didn't put a bit of subtlety into calling Harden out for avoiding the media.
"I don't know why guys continue to do this, it's such a bad look," Parsons said (via FanDuel TV). "It's no story if you just talk, own up to it and say you had an off-night or whatever.
"This is just never a good idea. It's never smart, it pisses the media off. ... I wish guys would stop doing this because it just creates such a negative buzz."
In their last five games, the Clippers have lost to two Eastern Conference teams positioned at the bottom of the playoff picture, the Atlanta Hawks and, more recently, the Sixers.
In both those games, Harden struggled to be an effective option in terms of scoring. Luckily for the Clippers, he can still affect the game with his playmaking, which has helped them stay competitive.
James Harden's former teammate stood up for him in his absence
The media wanted to get a hold of James Harden as he started the 2023-24 season with the Sixers before demanding a trade. Last night was Harden's first game against his former team, which created a significant amount of buzz.
However, the questions meant for him were left unanswered as he left the locker room even before Clippers head coach Ty Lue started his postgame interview.
His former teammate, Tobias Harris, spoke highly of the future Hall of Fame guard.
"James is a hell of a player," Harris said (h/t CBS News). "... He's a Hall of Fame player, and for me it was an honor being here playing with him."
Although Harden's time with the Sixers was short, everyone knew he was an impactful player. He helped Embiid, in his case, to win the MVP award and even became an important piece to their playoff run.
Guess the Lakers players!
