Boston Celtics vs 76ers series in the hands of Philadelphia star: Analyst

The Boston Celtics’ second-round Eastern Conference series against the Sixers is not in the hands of one of their players — instead, it’s dependent on the performance of Philadelphia star James Harden. Harden has had 40+ point efforts, and what do ya know, those were the Sixers’ two wins thus far.

Game 1 was his statement to the league that he can still be a No. 1 option, but Game 4 quite literally saw his 42nd point end up deciding the game via a game-winning 3-pointer in the second-to-last possession in overtime. CBS Sports’ Michael Kaskey-Blomain believes Harden is the bellwether for how this series has, and will, turn out, given the 119-115 Game 1 win and the 116-115 OT triumph not knot the series at 2-2.

“The fact that the Sixers won the two games where Harden was ultra aggressive and dropped the two that he wasn’t isn’t a coincidence,” Kaskey-Blomain wrote. “With Embiid playing through a knee injury and the Celtics committing a ton of attention to him, Harden’s aggression is a big boon for Philadelphia.”

The Boston Celtics could be in good hands if James Harden is a series bellwether

The trenches of a postseason series, when things get ugly and each possession rises in importance, are not typically a time when players with one foot out the door rise to the occasion. That’s where Philadelphia finds itself with this series going at least six games. Harden has been linked to the Houston Rockets, and a return makes sense to have his own team again. The Space City hosted Harden’s best work, so a return after teaming up with high-profile and ill-fitting teammates elsewhere isn’t hard to understand from his perspective. He’d be the clear alpha on a young team looking for a star veteran.

With the Celtics having a clear mission as a team whose core members have spent more than half a decade together, Boston better hope Harden is a bellwether for how this second-round series plays out.