James Harden of the Philadelphia 76ers showed up to Game 5 of the first round looking great.
He walked away afterward looking way worse.
Harden didn’t have the best night and that made a tweet from his team awkwardly accurate in retrospect.
where is @JHarden13¿ pic.twitter.com/NQJqrUFeU9
— Philadelphia 76ers (@sixers) April 25, 2022
Before the game, the 76ers posted an image of Harden arriving at the game dressed in camouflage with the caption: “Where is @JHarden13?”
That would be a question that many 76ers fans were asking all night.
Harden’s Hard Night
When the dust had settled, Harden had yet another uneven game.
He put up 15 points, 2 rebounds, and 7 assists.
This unfortunate stat line contributed to his team’s embarrassing 103-88 loss to the Toronto Raptors.
The defeat is even more stinging because the 76ers were up 3-0 just days ago.
Now the series is nearly tied at 3-2.
With the next game set to take place in Toronto, the 76ers should be legitimately worried.
They should be even more concerned if Harden isn’t playing like his regular self.
This hasn’t been Harden’s best season: his average is 18.4 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 9.2 assists.
While those aren’t bad numbers, they aren’t the 24.9 points, 6.8 assists, and 5.6 rebounds he’s achieved for his career average.
If the 76ers do indeed fall to the Raptors, it will sadly be another example of Harden collapsing in the postseason.
Throughout his time with the Oklahoma City Thunder, Houston Rockets, and Brooklyn Nets, Harden has gained a reputation as someone who doesn’t hold it together in the playoffs.
However, if the 76ers are taken down by the Raptors, this will be his biggest embarrassment yet.
Therefore, you can be sure Harden is going to go into Game 6 laser-focused and eager to put Toronto away.
NEXT: Charles Barkley Makes Bold Claim About A Potential 76ers Collapse