James Harden Brushes Off Stellar Season Debut vs. Celtics

A solid scoring night in a loss meant nothing to James Harden.

James Harden's personal confidence never wavered over the last couple of years. Although Harden wasn't producing like the scoring machine he once was with the Houston Rockets while competing with the Brooklyn Nets and the Philadelphia 76ers, the All-Star guard claimed that it wasn't due to a decline.

A hamstring injury lingered over the last couple of seasons for Harden. That's why when the ten-time All-Star wrapped up his 2022 playoff run with the Sixers, Harden was confident in his ability to bounce back as he was set to have an offseason without rehab.

"For the past two and a half years, it's been a struggle for me because I wasn't able to be who I know I am. All that in a pile was very frustrating. You get a full season of health, working out, and honestly getting back to who I need to be," said Harden back in September.

Without the injury concerns and the drama behind the scenes, Harden had an opportunity to get his fresh start on Tuesday night against the Boston Celtics, making his first full-season debut with the 76ers. To say the All-Star didn't disappoint personally is an understatement.

Harden came out firing in the first quarter. As the Sixers' superstar center Joel Embiid got into foul trouble, forcing him off the floor in less than seven minutes, Harden picked up the slack and scored 16 points on four shots and eight free throws.

By the end of the first half, Harden had 22 points in fewer than 20 minutes. In the third quarter, Harden didn't slow down. In 11 minutes of playing time, Harden hit on three of his four shots from the field and was a percent 3-3 from the line, adding nine more points to his total.

Then in the fourth quarter, Harden wrapped up the night with 35 total points in 37 minutes. For a guy that averaged 21 points in 21 games with the Sixers last season, Harden's 35-point outing to begin a new year was a positive sign.

But "The Beard" wasn't in an, "I told you so" type of mood after his big game.

"I feel pretty solid," Harden told reporters. "We got a long journey, long way to go, but it's not about me individually."

Harden's big night didn't translate into a team win. As Boston's star collective of Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown collected 35 points each, they managed to lead their team to a 126-117 victory. 

Meanwhile, Harden is left searching for more ways to figure out how the Sixers can be better as a team so when they face a star-studded team like the Celtics, they find different results on the scoreboard.

"I know what I'm capable of, but it's about doing the right things and trying to do whatever it takes to help this team win," Harden continued. "For us, man, we felt like we had really good stretches where we were playing very, very well, and then there are times where we allowed them too easy points. Especially on the road, it's gonna be difficult to recover. So learning lessons and watching the film, get better, and be ready to go on Thursday."

The Sixers started the season off on the wrong foot as a team, but Harden's big night proves he's still capable of being a 30-point scorer when he has to turn his production up a notch. Now, Harden and his teammates have to figure out what they can do to turn big personal nights into big nights for the team. 

Justin Grasso covers the Philadelphia 76ers for All76ers, a Sports Illustrated channel. You can follow him for live updates on Twitter: @JGrasso_.