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James Harden has joked about missing a wide-open shot against the Boston Celtics after he dropped Marcus Smart.
Harden shimmied before attempting the 3-pointer but wildly bricked the shot and air-balled it. "The Beard" got trolled massively for what followed a brilliant drop.
Harden was in a similar situation during Monday's regular-season game between the Philadelphia 76ers and Indiana Pacers. The former MVP dropped rookie Bennedict Mathurin to the floor. This time, however, he made the wide-open shot after creating the separation.
James Harden spoke to reporters about what goes through his head when he has space and time to shoot after he drops a defender or the defender flops. He said after the game against the Pacers:
"A lot of things. The last time I did that, I air-balled. I wasn't trying to air-ball, I was trying to get the ball to the rim at least. But trying to make the shot. I mean, trying to create the best shot available. As he [Mathurin] went down, I felt like that was an opportunity."
He added:
"I had seen Joel through the corner of my eye in the right hand side, but I had to get my revenge, my lick back for air-balling (against the Celtics)."
James Harden has toyed with defenders for fun throughout his career. He has had many such moments, but the shots haven't always dropped. The cheers from the crowd certainly build pressure when a wide-open opportunity is available. Even the best succumb to that on occasion.
Harden will be glad he made the shot after his failed attempt against Marcus Smart and the Boston Celtics. Another miss would've made him the laughing stock on NBA Twitter.
James Harden showing flashes of his MVP-caliber self this season
James Harden has come into the new season in excellent shape, unlike the previous two years. The 2018 NBA MVP struggled to perform to his potential during that stretch due to poor physical conditioning. Harden also incurred injuries during that period.
However, "The Beard" made the most of entering the 2022 offseason healthy. He put in the work to return to his peak conditioning. That has given him results thus far and Harden is playing like an MVP-caliber player again.
He scored 30+ points against heavyweights like the Boston Celtics and Milwaukee Bucks in the opening two games on 57.8% shooting. Harden then had an off-night against the San Antonio Spurs (12 points on 4-of-18 shooting) in the third game. However, he bounced back against the Indiana Pacers on Monday.
Harden bagged 29 points, nine rebounds and 11 assists, shooting 10-of-18 from the floor, including 5-of-10 from 3-point range. His heroics led the Philadelphia 76ers to their first win of the year by a 120-106 margin.
The 76ers have surrounded James Harden and Joel Embiid with solid talent, making them one of the favorites to win it all this season. Both players haven't tasted championship success and will be hoping to lead the Sixers to the finals for the first time in two decades.
