LOS ANGELES — Tobias Harris scored 24 points and Tyrese Maxey added 19 in the second half of the Philadelphia 76ers’ 121-107 victory over James Harden and the Los Angeles Clippers on Sunday.
Harden had 12 points and 14 assists in his first game against the 76ers since leaving Philadelphia last November. After going 0 of 6 on 3-pointers to boos from a small but vocal section of Sixers fans in Los Angeles, the 10-time All-Star and 2018 MVP will return to Philadelphia with the Clippers on Wednesday for the rematch .
Harden didn’t speak to the media after that game, but his former Philly teammates were complimentary after beating his new team.
“James is a heck of a player and I still have a ton of respect for him,” Harris said. “It’s good to see him in Los Angeles thriving and playing his game, just in great shape. It’s all love and respect. He’s a Hall of Famer and for me it was an honor to play here with him. Seeing him on the other side happy and enjoying what he’s doing, that’s really the aim of the game.”
Cameron Payne scored a game-high 23 points with five 3-pointers for the Sixers, who bounced back from a loss to the Lakers on Friday by hitting 18 3-pointers in their fourth victory in just 11 games.
Philadelphia blew a 17-point lead to the Clips before taking control with a 15-2 run to open the fourth quarter led by Maxey, who started slow and finished strong for the second straight game in Los Angeles.
“We finally put two halves together, and it felt good,” Payne said. “Gunshots were falling. Everyone came locked in today. The shots were falling and everyone was playing the right way.
Kawhi Leonard scored 20 points and Paul George had 18 for the Clippers, who have lost five of eight and haven’t beaten a team with a winning record in three weeks. Norman Powell scored 20 points after returning from a three-game absence with a leg bruise, but the Clippers couldn’t keep up with the Sixers’ outside shooting.
“We know we have to play better basketball going into the playoffs or it’s going to be a bad start to the season,” Clippers coach Tyronn Lue said. “I still have complete confidence in this team and complete confidence in what we can do. It’s just about going out and doing it every night – not 26 minutes, (but) 48 minutes to do the right things.
Harden played just 79 regular-season games during a tumultuous 21 months with the Sixers, who traded Ben Simmons to acquire him from Brooklyn in February 2022. Harden led the NBA in assists last season while strengthening Joel Embiid in his MVP campaign before Philly lost a seven-game series to Boston in the second round of the playoffs.
Harden, 34, picked up his contract option to return to Philadelphia last summer, but abruptly requested a trade several weeks later. He later criticized Sixers president of basketball operations Darryl Morey, apparently calling him a “liar” during an Adidas event in China.
Philadelphia still kept Harden on its roster until November 1, when Morey dealt the Los Angeles native to his preferred destination for a package that featured Nicolas Batum, Robert Covington and KJ Martin.
“It was crazy when it happened,” said Paul Reed of Philadelphia. “I was upset, but I wasn’t upset. I was always cool. …It feels like this happened last year. You know how long the season lasts.
Harden has been largely outstanding with Los Angeles, averaging 17.3 points and 8.5 assists while propelling the Clippers into the top four in the Western Conference.
Before this game, both coaches downplayed the significance of the reunion — although 76ers coach Nick Nurse acknowledged that “it might get a little different on the other side.” Nurse was referring to Wednesday, when the Clippers travel to Philadelphia.
“I haven’t really heard any, ‘Oh, we’re playing (Harden), we’re playing (the Clippers),'” said Payne, who joined the Sixers last month. “I feel like we just handled our business, and it showed on the field.”
Batum did not play in his return to Los Angeles, but received cheers from fans who loved him during his three seasons with the Clippers.
Even after an off Saturday night in Los Angeles, the Sixers made 20 of their first 28 shots and took a 17-point lead in the first half, shaking off poor shooting that detracted from an otherwise solid performance against the Lakers. The Clippers rallied to tie the game in the third quarter, but never led.
FOLLOWING
76ers: at Sacramento on Monday.
Clippers: Host Indiana on Monday.
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