By: Derrick Chen
Game 4 of the second round of the NBA playoffs between the Boston Celtics and the Philadelphia 76ers was a must-win for the 76ers as they were down a game. The two-star players of the 76ers are Joel Embiid and James Harden - they scored 76 points between the two of them..
The 76ers gained a big lead, up 14 points after the first half. The Celtics made a big 19-point comeback to pull ahead with a 5-point lead with just two minutes on the clock. Then, the 76ers tied it up at the last minute to force overtime. The Celtics had a lead, but James Harden scored a buzzer-beater to win the game 116 to 115.
How did this happen? Well, before the game the 76ers’ coach sent a seven-minute song to James Harden. When he listened to the song, he felt something good in it. He thought, “I want to feel like that,” which led him to win the game.
Also, James Harden had promised a fan who was injured to get him to a game. Harden knew that his fan would be watching. He tried hard, and didn’t disappoint.
The song was “You Know My Name,” a gospel song.
James Harden is regarded as one of the greatest scorers in NBA history. He has never missed a single playoffs in his career with the Oklahoma City Thunder, the Houston Rockets, the Brooklyn Nets, and the Philadelphia 76ers. There hasn’t been much between James Harden and head coach Doc Rivers, but after the 76ers lost game 7 and were eliminated, Harden coldly said “Our relationship is Okay”. Game 7 was the last game Doc Rivers coached with the 76ers. He has been replaced by former Toronto Raptors head coach Nick Nurse.