Tyrese Maxey gives admiration to James Harden after win over Wizards
With the Philadelphia 76ers missing Joel Embiid on Halloween night in a matchup with the Washington Wizards, they needed to lean on their other top players to lead the way on the road.
James Harden delivered as he poured in 23 points and he tied his career-high with 17 assists. His efforts helped Philadelphia win their third straight game to end their 4-game trip as they knocked off the Wizards on Monday 118-111.
It was a strong performance for Harden and he earned the admiration and respect of teammate Tyrese Maxey after the game.
“He’s played so much basketball and he’s played in so many different styles and so many big games that I think the film that he’s watching, he knows where guys need to be,” Maxey told reporters. “He knows where he wants guys, he knows how to pick his spots, he knows when to attack, he knows when to facilitate and it’s just great.”
Harden set the tone in the first quarter as he was terrific in all aspects. Not only did he score 15 points in the opening quarter on 5-for-8 shooting and converting two And-1 opportunities, but he also had six assists. The Sixers shot 50% in the opening 12 minutes and they scored 30 points thanks to Harden’s play.
“He was leading us in scoring in the first quarter, just being aggressive, but I look up and he also had six or seven assists in the first quarter so it was like he’s doing a little bit of everything,” Maxey added. “That’s what we need him to do and we just really appreciate him. He’s really great at basketball. That’s all I can really say.”
This is what the Sixers were expecting from Harden when they acquired him at the deadline in February. He couldn’t quite deliver then, but now that he is coming off a full summer of rehab and working out the way he would like to, it has allowed him to look like himself as Philadelphia moves forward.
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