The Philadelphia 76ers picked up a 114-109 win over the host Chicago Bulls on Saturday night despite uneven play from their lineup.
Joel Embiid had 25 points and seven rebounds. He knocked down the go-ahead 3 that gave Philadelphia the win, but he was up and down throughout. Then there was James Harden, who had 15 points, but he shot just 2-for-13.
However, he had 11 assists and six rebounds, and he knocked down all 11 of his free throws. That allowed Harden to contribute even though he had a really rough night shooting.
Harden told Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer:
“It’s a part of the game,” Harden said. “You want to play well every single game. You want to make shots. … When you don’t make it, you try to find other ways to impact the game.
“So I had double-digit assists. I tried to rebound the basketball when I can, and come out with a win. And tonight we did that.
Harden has had a terrific start to the season after a full summer of being able to work out on his own and be able to rest his nagging hamstring injury. An off night is going to happen, but at least he stepped up and made plays in other areas to help the Sixers win a game and build momentum.
Philadelphia heads to Washington D.C. to finish this four-game road trip against the Wizards on Monday.
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