James Harden focusing on what he can control after Sixers beat Pacers
Philadelphia 76ers star James Harden continues to transform his game from ruthless scorer to elite playmaker and Monday’s win over the Indiana Pacers was no different.
Harden only scored 14 points, but he was magnificent playing the point guard spot. The Beard dished out 20 assists and he made sure everybody got the ball in a position to score as the Sixers outlasted the Pacers 147-143 to improve to 3-1 on this road trip with one more game to go.
Efforts like Monday really make one wonder why Harden wasn’t named an All-Star in 2023. Sure, he isn’t the same explosive scorer he once was, but he was still All-Star worthy with his ability to get everybody involved as well as put the ball in the basket when the time calls for it.
With that being said, Harden is focused more on what he can control. He told Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer:
“I don’t know what they want from me,” he said. “You know what I mean? I’ve been doing this thing for a very long time. I’ve been one of the most consistent players in this league since I’ve been in.
“The only thing that I can do is control what I can control, keep going out there and impacting the game every single night that I step on the floor. And I’ll live with the results.”
If the Sixers can continue to get this type of production from Harden, they are going to be extremely tough to beat in the Eastern Conference. The pure talent of both Harden and Joel Embiid will give them a shot to beat anybody in the postseason.
