While his status for that matchup isn't yet clear, it appears he'll have at least one opportunity to take part in game action before the start of the regular season. Coach Nick Nurse said earlier this week that Harden could play in Monday's preseason game against the Nets. All rights reserved.Harden (personal) said Friday that he doesn't think his relationship with the 76ers' front office can be repaired but implied he'll play for Philadelphia to begin the regular season, Noah Levick of NBC Sports Philadelphia reports.Īlthough Harden's relationship with president of basketball operations Daryl Morey remains strained, it appears the 34-year-old will begin the regular season in a 76ers uniform despite his lingering trade request. Terms of Use and Privacy Policy and Safety Information / Your California Privacy Rights are applicable to you. ^ Back to Top ^ © 2023 ESPN Internet Ventures. And if I don't win anything, I don't care." I'm just focused on trying to win a championship, and whatever happens, happens. "Like I said, I don't care if I win it or not. And to go out there and say I'm scared after what I did the last time is stupid. The last matchup, we won and I had whatever I had. That's to make sure we're healthy for the playoffs. Not playing against him was a huge bummer. Back-to-back MVPs, he's one of the best players in the league and I'm a huge fan. And it's not really a matchup about me and Nikola. Guys miss matchups - that's not the first time. If one game is going to hurt anybody's chances, then I guess everybody should be out of it. And while Embiid said not playing against Jokic was a "huge bummer," he said missing the game was done with a bigger goal in mind: giving Philadelphia its best chance at having him enter the playoffs healthy for a deep postseason run. Prior to Wednesday's game, however, Embiid went through his pregame workout without incident, and he then went on to help Philadelphia go on a 16-5 run over the final seven minutes to seal the win, finishing with 25 points and 9 rebounds in 33 minutes.Īfter the game, Embiid was asked whether missing Monday's game could have an effect on his hopes of winning the Most Valuable Player award this year, after finishing as runner-up to Jokic each of the past two years. He returned to play against Golden State on Friday and Phoenix on Saturday, before he was ruled out shortly after shootaround Monday. Embiid, who missed Monday's MVP showdown with Denver Nuggets star Nikola Jokic, first tweaked his calf last Wednesday in Chicago, where he didn't play in the second half of a blowout win. The 76ers, meanwhile, are no longer on a three-game losing streak thanks to getting both Harden and Joel Embiid (right calf) back on the court. "Tomorrow I'll do something, after the game, Friday I'll do something, it's just making sure I'm on it." "After the game, I went into the weight room and did some tendon-loading and things like that, for the Achilles, my lower body, my calves, things like that," Harden said. Harden indicated he's going to have to continue to monitor and maintain his Achilles moving forward. Philadelphia, however, chose to be cautious and held Harden out for one more game before bringing him back Wednesday night against Dallas. After the game, he was seen limping in the locker room, and he then sat out the next four contests: a win in Chicago, followed by losses in Golden State, Phoenix and Denver on Monday.Īt shootaround Monday, Harden looked good, including throwing an alley-oop to himself off the backboard and emphatically dunking it. The game Harden was referring to was when he last took the court March 21 at Wells Fargo Center against the Chicago Bulls - a game Philadelphia lost in overtime and in which Harden shot 2-for-14 across 47 minutes. I felt like tonight was the game to come back." "Six games left to finish the season off, finish off strong, then we get another week to prepare. "I just wanted to continue to play on it, and there was one point to where the last game I played, just really unbearable so I couldn't even go out there. It's been bothering me for some months, I would say," Harden said after finishing with 15 points and 12 assists in 38 minutes in Wednesday night's 116-108 win over the Dallas Mavericks. PHILADELPHIA - After returning to the lineup from a four-game absence due to left Achilles soreness, Philadelphia 76ers star James Harden said he's been dealing with the issue for "some months." James Harden, Joel Embiid return for 76ers in win over Mavs You have reached a degraded version of because you're using an unsupported version of Internet Explorer.įor a complete experience, please upgrade or use a supported browser
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