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James Harden made his debut at the Wells Fargo Center for the Philadelphia 76ers on Wednesday night. The superstar guard felt the love from the fans in Philadelphia as the home team took the win against the New York Knicks.
A stellar 123-108 win against the Knicks meant the 76ers enjoyed their third consecutive win with Harden in the lineup. Speaking about his experience of playing at home for the first time, the 32-year old poured his heart out for the fans in the post-game interview. He said:
"It was a movie, everything I expected it to be. I think everybody in the world knows how great these fans are, how passionate they are about their Sixers. It feels great to be out here. I tried to get the jitters out early. It's fun out here and I'm just happy to come away with a win."
Since James Harden's arrival, the Philadelphia 76ers have looked like a completely different monster. The franchise have enjoyed some stellar performances from their newly acquired superstar on the way to racking up four consecutive wins.
James Harden's impact on the Philadelphia 76ers
Since joining the side, James Harden has been an instant contributor for the Philadelphia 76ers. He notched up a near triple-double during his debut performance. His previous outing against the Knicks in New York saw him register his first triple-double in a 76ers uniform.
Harden followed up the performance in New York with his home debut, recording another impressive performance of 26 points, nine rebounds and nine assists.
James Harden's addition has been an overall positive for the side. While adding a skilled guard brings enough upside to the table, Harden has also done a great job in blending his talents with the system itself.
The 32-year-old has helped in motivating the team as well and his influence on the team's offense is evident. Although the system continues to run through Joel Embiid, Harden has played a vital role in helping Tyrese Maxey develop into a significant contributor.
With the win against the Knicks on Wednesday, the 76ers have also leveled their season-series against the New York outfit. The victory featured tremendous performances by their superstar duo of Harden and Embiid as well as some incredible output from Maxey.
The trio recorded 78 points on only 40 attempts from the field, and the 76ers enjoyed the second-half surge, largely spurred by Maxey's performance.
While Harden has seamlessly merged with the system, there is still a lot of room for growth. The superstar and the team continue to assimilate and as things stand, the sky appears to be the limit for what the 76ers could achieve this season.
Philadelphia will hope that their new trio will continue their consistent performances to maintain their steady rise up the Eastern Conference ladder. Their next matchup will be against the Cleveland Cavaliers on Thursday, March 4.
